The Man Behind the Cut
by Sessy52
Summary: She traded the city for a small town thinking it would be safer for her. Just her luck the town ruled by a gang, in a war with a rival gang, and has the entire town brainwashed. Not too mention she can't help but feel attracted to the sexy biker.
1. Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT EDIT! 10/05/13: I just got an anonymous review that was seriously confused about my use of the word "cut". After guessing that English is not my first language (Which, it actually is. My mistakes, however, are a result of me not proofreading and typing too fast, not a misconception of the actual language) and saying that it is a sloppy mistake that I should fix for that sake of my reputation as I writer, I felt the need to post this. This is not the first time I caused confusion as a result from my usage of the word. In fact, the author that is working on the French translation of this story felt the need to write up a glossary of the biker terms to help non-native speakers understand and "cut" was on that list of defined terms. No, I didn't mean to say "coat" this whole time and it's not a mistake that I'm just too incompetent or oblivious to fix. It was deliberate. I'm sorry if there is any confusion, which is not my intention as an author. A CUT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE BIKER COMMUNITY AND THEY DO NOT CALL THE DENIM OR LEATHER VEST THEY WEAR A COAT. IT IS CALLED A CUT OR COLORS. I chose to say cut in this story but colors could be used also. I am posting this on the first chapter in order to try and clear up any confusion before the reading begins. I apologize to everyone who was confused at all by the lingo, just trying to make the story seem for real and true to what I know about the biker community. Thank you for listening. END EDIT**

**This is a product of my new obsession, Sons of Anarchy. Way too many hours watching the show and my mind does this. It may be a little show at the beginning, but hopefully it will speed up quickly, maybe third chapter or so.**

**Summary: Sakura, a doctor, moves to Konoha after a hard time in the city hoping that the smaller town would better fit her and she would be safer. Unknowingly, she happens into Konoha; the birthplace of a large Motorcycle Club that is involved in more than just a war with a rival MC. Sasuke is the Vice President of the MC, the future leader of a world based on crime, loyalty, blood, alcohol, pussy, and family. He's a new father trying to adjust to a new way of living within this world. It's only a matter of time before these two worlds collide and mesh.**

**Disclaimer for entire story: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters, Sons of Anarchy, or any songs featured within the text.**

**As always, my editing sucks, but I hope you enjoy anyways.**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Finally Home

Sakura sighed and sipped the warm coffee in her hand, focusing all of her body on relaxing. The warmth of the caffeinated beverage traveled down her throat and radiated out to warm her entire body. A jolt of energy came with the warmth that she gladly welcomed. She had spent the better part of yesterday and last night unpacking boxes in her new house and loading boxes up with her grandfather's old belongings. Her new house was left in her name from her grandfather on her mother's side after he died.

She leaned back in her chair of the quant café and brushed her pink hair over her shoulder. Today she wore the shoulder blade length hair down with a small bump made up of her face frame. She leisurely smoothed out a wrinkle in her new mint green scrubs, inwardly surprised at how well they looked with her naturally pink hair. They looked much better than the baby blue scrubs she had worn during her internship in the city. She was taking it as a good sign. Already this tiny town that was barely a dot on the map was shaping up to be a better fit for her than the bustling city.

Focusing her attention out the wide window that looked out on Main Street she watched as families went about their early Saturday routines. A rumble caught her attention and she looked in time to see three men on motorcycles coming down the road from the left and parked in the front of the convenience store next door. They backed into the spaces, lining up their bikes so that they were in a row facing out towards the street. They handled the machinery with a lot of care but with a skill level that suggested that they had been riding for a while. With their back to her, she noticed that they all wore the same leather vests but she quickly turned her attention away before she could study it when the waitress came up.

"More coffee, ma'am?"

Sakura nodded and muttered a thank you to the woman. She was a pretty girl but sort of plain looking. She was good looking but plain enough that she was easily overlooked. Looking at her, Sakura had the sneaking suspicion that the girl was single and not because she wanted to be.

The woman refilled the cup and then just about left before she faltered. "Are you the new doctor in town?" she asked and was received with a look of surprise and confusion. Quickly the girl was talking again. "It's a small town and I had heard talk of a new doctor. I didn't recognize your face and you're wearing scrubs so I put the pieces together. I just thought I'd ask instead of just assuming things," she rambled nervously.

Sakura smiled politely to the stranger while she poured some cream into her newly refilled cup. "Yeah, well, you assumed correctly."

The woman smiled in a friendly manner. "What brings you to our charming Konoha, if you don't mind me asking?"

Sakura shrugged in a casual manner while stirring in some sugar. "I just needed a change in scenery. The city is a crazy place and there is a much lower crime rate in Konoha."

The woman looked out the wide window as the three bikers exited the store next door. They were laughing and talking, elbowing the one in the middle in a playful manner. They stopped and prepared to mount their bikes, taking a moment to dig through the plastic bag containing their purchased loot.

"Well Konoha is about the safest place around," she said in an almost adoring tone. Sakura looked up when she heard the tone of the woman's voice and followed her gaze.

Snapping out of her trance, the woman cleared her throat and flashed a warm smile to Sakura. "Well, anyways, welcome to Konoha." Sakura smiled back in response and watched as the woman walked away.

Another loud rumble filled the air and Sakura turned expecting to see the three bikers were leaving. Instead, when she looked she saw that while they had already mounted their bikes, they had yet to leave or even startup the engine. Sakura looked again as a group of maybe nine or ten more men on motorcycles came from the right and park across the street. They maneuvered their bikes into the available spaces in the same manner as the other three. Behind the hoard of bikes was a plain black SUV. It parked next to the bikers.

Sakura examined all of the bikers, noticing dimly that they had almost identical vests. On the back of the vests was the name 'Akatsuki' across the top, slightly curved so that it wasn't straight across. In the center was a picture, the grim reaper staring out with red eyes. The reaper was only its upper body. The scythe was in one bone hand while the other hand was outstretched with an open bone palm. In the palm was a red cloud. Almost directly underneath the red cloud was the letters 'MC'. Sakura dimly noticed that the next part was where they differed, as well as some of the smaller patches on the front. From the distance she couldn't make out the patches in the front because of the size of the letters but she could make out the back just fine. Underneath the picture was a name of a city. The three bikers next door had the name 'Konoha' on it while the group across the street said 'Suna'.

A biker across the street quickly removed the bowl-like helmet and dismounted in the same quick fashion. The engines of the other vehicles hadn't even died down yet before the man was already making his way across the street.

As he got closer, Sakura could see that he was very attractive. He was pale but his complexion was clear. He was tall, maybe six foot or so, and lean with muscled arms that weren't too muscled. He wore blue jeans, a tight black t-shirt with the vest on over it, gloves, and dark sunglasses. He had a few tattoos on his arms but she couldn't make out what they were besides black and gray blotches of ink. He had dark raven hair that shined blue in the sunshine. It was sort of shaggy looking, like he never bothered the comb it, but at the same time spiked in a crazy disarray in the back.

The three bikers on Sakura's side of the street dismounted and the one in the middle, a blonde handsome man, was the first to pull the Suna biker into his arms. They were both laughing and they pulled way in a friendly fashion. Sakura watched as the Suna biker was greeted by the other two men in a similar fashion and the other Suna bikers across the street made their way over.

"So the prince has returned, huh?"

Sakura looked up in surprise to see the waitress standing next to her again. She had been so intent on watching the bikers that she hadn't noticed the woman's approach. She gave a questioning stare but it was ignored. Instead she offered a strange smile and handed the pinkette her bill. She moved way before Sakura could question her.

Sakura checked her phone, monitoring the time. She had to get to the hospital by eight and it was already seven thirty seven. Taking a final sip of her coffee, she put the needed amount of cash on the table, including the tip. She shouldered he bag and then exited the café, making a conscious effort to keep her stare away from the group of bikers. Maybe she was being paranoid but as she walked to her car she felt as if there were eyes on her back.

She climbed into her bucket car and threw her bag onto the passenger seat. Putting the key into the ignition, she prayed that it would start and wouldn't backfire. She twisted the key and heard the noise of the engine groaning, unwilling to start. She stopped and tried again, feeling her face redden when she thought about the bikers watching her. She glanced to her left and noticed that the handsome Suna biker was indeed watching her but he was the only one who had seemed to have notice that she even existed. She looked away quickly.

She leaned forward over her steering wheel and put her hand on the dash. "Please," she whispered to the car. "Come on. Don't do this to me, especially when the sexy biker is watching."

Taking a deep breath she leaned away and twisted the key again. Some car god must have been watching because this attempt was successful and she let out a relieved sigh. Backing out of the space rather quickly, she longed to get away before she could embarrass herself even more. Allowing herself one look as she passed, she noticed that the handsome Suna biker had looked way from her and was laughing with the blonde Konoha biker.

She fled the scene as quickly as the speed limit would permit her.

X

Sasuke revved the engine of his Harley and twisted around the bend. Beside him Gaara did the same, slightly ahead of him. They were fast approaching his hometown and Sasuke found himself itching to be with his family again after two years. The circumstances of his return were less than favorable, seeing as the Suna charter was coming in for a funeral, but still he felt his heart flutter with the thought of returning home.

Coming around the final bend they went on for a few more yards before they passed the familiar "Welcome to Konoha" sign. Sasuke smiled, remembering all the times he had passed that sign and the number of times he had passed by the sign on the other side, the "Thanks for visiting Konoha" sign. He felt a wave of nostalgia pass through him and then smiled to himself, looking forward to the future. He was finally home at last.

The first part of Konoha was made up of private housing where the houses were sparse and far between. They kept straight on the winding road they were on, ignoring all the smaller roads that branched off from the main road. It was pretty easy to get lost with all the different roads but if you kept on the larger road it would lead you straight to Main Street if you stayed on long enough. As you got closer to Main Street, the population got denser. In the center of Konoha was the business district surrounded by the typical suburban neighborhood. The business district was made up of local, family owned stores and zero franchise chains and corporate businesses. Konoha was virtually untouched by the outside world.

Sasuke revved the engine again, feeling restless as they drew closer and closer to Main Street. Twisting around a few final bends and the road straightened and the speed limit decreased. Within a few more yards they entered the business district and Sasuke looked around to see that nothing had changed during his absence. The stores seemed to be thriving and the residence seemed to be happy like when he lived there.

Gaara signaled ahead of him and Sasuke looked forward to see three men on motorcycles ahead of them on the opposite side of the street. As they drew nearer Sasuke could make out three familiar faces and his heart leaped in his chest. There were open spaces available on their side of the road so they moved off to the side, maneuvering into the spaces so that they could quickly head out when they needed to. He waited just long enough to see Temari pulled up in the SUV before he was quickly dismounting.

Sasuke removed his helmet and double checked the kickstand was secure before he was making his way across the street. He didn't even bother checking for traffic, they would stop for him if there was anyone, as he made his way over to his brothers. Technically only one of them was his actual brother but he grew up with these boys and they were all part of the same motorcycle club, or MC, so they considered themselves brothers of the MC.

He saw Naruto standing in the middle with the same stupid grin on his face that he grew up seeing. He laughed like than idiot and then pulled Sasuke into a tight hug.

"Teme! You're finally home!" he shouted and Sasuke pulled away with a smile, too happy at the moment to care that his stepbrother had yelled in his ear.

"And it's good to be home. How's Mom and Dad? Or Itachi and Sayuki? How are the boys?" Sasuke asked in a rush, so elated to be home that he wasn't bothering to keep his cool like he usually did.

Next to him Kiba laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Chill out man, we have to grill you before you can grill us," he laughed and then pulled him in for a brief hug.

"Yeah, stop being troublesome and take a breath," Shikamaru muttered next to him before hugging him next.

The other bikers from across the street strolled over at a much more causal pace. The next few minutes was a flurry of greetings and offered condolences. Sasuke glanced at the SUV, seeing that Temari had decided to stay in the car and then turned to address Naruto. As he turned, however, something pink and green caught his attention and he stopped to get a closer look.

Exiting the café next door was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was a small thing, probably only five foot four or five with a petite body. She had a creamy complexion and the biggest, expressive, sparkling, beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen. She had the strangest pink hair that looked silky smooth and bounced as she moved. Her green scrubs were loose on her small form but hinted at curves underneath.

Her eyes were focused first on the pavement and then on this beat up, ugly Beetle that was rusted and painted in three different colors of peeling paint. It barely looked like it would run. Sasuke found himself transfixed, watching as this immense beauty climbed into the ugliest pile of metal imaginable. She settled herself into the car and Sasuke found the next few minutes almost comical as she tried to start the pathetic excuse of a car and failed twice. She turned ever so slightly and Sasuke thought he should look away at some point as to not look like a total fucking creeper but found that he couldn't look away from the comical scene. She leaned forward in an almost defeated manner and Sasuke almost rushed forward to help her-he was a mechanic after all- but then she leaned away and tried once more and was able to coax the car into starting.

She reversed in a hurry and Sasuke was finally able to look away when Naruto put his hand on his shoulder. He gave that same stupid grin and then looked around like he was missing something obvious.

"Where the hell is my nephew? You had us freaking out over here for months when we found out he was purged early!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the handsome blonde male. "Purge? He's not a fucking whale, Dobe. He's a baby," the raven replied with snort before gesturing towards the SUV across the street. "He's in the car with Temari. Come look," he said and the group migrated over across the street.

Naruto was practically bouncing outside the locked door of the backseat, trying to peer through the tinted black windows. They were tinted to an extreme, probably passed the legal limit though no one really cared, so he couldn't easily peer through. Sasuke knocked lightly on the driver's side window, knowing that it was Temari behind the black glass. The mechanical click sounded next and Sasuke moved so he could open the backseat door. He leaned over so his brother could peer into the backseat.

In the middle seat of the back was a car seat. Sasuke's five month old son was sleeping peacefully in the comfort of the carrier. He was in a blue onesie, a blue hat with the club's symbol, or patch, on it, his dark hair picking out from underneath. He was small for his age, a premature baby that was born ten weeks too early. He almost hadn't made it. He was healthy now, a fact that the entire MC community was extremely thankful for. Everyone had been on edge when they received news that he had come early and it had taken a lot to make sure that every charter hadn't come barreling into Suna that night.

"Sasuke, man, he's adorable," Naruto muttered, so awed that his voice was as quiet as a whisper for once. He smiled and waved at the sleeping child. "Hi Aiden," he muttered and Sasuke rolled his eyes but choose not to comment.

Sasuke nodded, pride swelling in his chest. "Yeah, and when we get to the clubhouse you can hold him if you want."

Naruto nodded quickly, keeping his eyes on his nephew. Kiba and Shikamaru stood behind them, peering over their shoulders to see the baby boy. Temari was twisted around in the driver's seat, her blonde head sticking out to see the boy as well. She was eyeing him in a similar fashion as Sasuke, filled with pride. Sasuke glanced at her with a small smile, choosing to ignore the look.

Naruto smiled and clapped his hand over his shoulder. "Let's get you home so I can hold my nephew."

Sasuke nodded and moved away from the car after checking to see that his boy was good. The Konoha boys jogged across the street and quickly mounted their Harleys. Sasuke closed the SUV door softly and walked calmly over to his own Harley. He mounted and pulled his helmet back on, looking to Gaara. He nodded and then looked to the ones across the street and waited until they pulled out before he followed. The reason they made a point to park in rows they way they do is so that they can easily pull out, going down the line.

They traveled down Main Street and then turned right and traveled several blocks down and then turned right once more. They traveled several yards until the driveway of the town's one and only auto shop came into view. The Uchiha-Namikaze Auto Shop sat on the edge of the business district and owned a large lot of land. The entire property was caged in with thick fences that usually sat open, free for anyone to come and go. By the entrance was a large building, the clubhouse that only friends, family and members of the MC were allowed to enter. In the back of the lot was another building. This building was the auto shop and office. It was large too with skilled workers. The rest of the lot was open space, plenty of room to move around in.

When they entered the property they made their way down a long driveway that led straight to the auto shop. On either side of the large driveway were rows of bikes and several cars parked in such a way that left plenty of space to move around still. The Konoha boys maneuvered their bikes at the end of the row on the right. The Suna boys went to the left with the exception of Sasuke who broke from the Suna pack and moved over to join the Konoha boys. The SUV pulled up the rear and parked in a space on the left.

Sasuke hadn't even gotten the chance to kill the engine before the shop's office door burst open and the queen bee came running out to greet her baby. Tsunade Uchiha-Namikaze was higher in age than most of the group but she was nowhere near ailing. She recently had celebrated her fifty second birthday, but still she looked remarkably young and youthful. She was the mother of three boys, though she never carried anyone of them so she was able to keep her figure for all these years. Sasuke was her middle child and Naruto was the youngest. And although she loved each one of her sons deeply, Sasuke always held a deeper place in her heart than the rest. He was her baby, the one that so strong and independent but always needed someone to take care of him as well.

"Sasuke!" she called and the raven smirked and rushed to her before she got too excited and did something stupid. He pulled her into a tight hug, marveling at how small she felt in his arms. It always amazed him to think that he had grow bigger than her, after years of seeing her as this immobile and big stature in his life. Even if he was physically bigger than her since his teen years, he had always still felt smaller than her. Being a father now, he felt more like an equal and it was a strange sensation.

"Hey, Mom, I've missed you," he whispered and she tightened her grip on him to express how she felt the same. He gently released her from the hug and she gripped his head in a motherly fashion. She pulled him now so she could kiss his forehead.

"Oh, baby, I'm so glad you are home. Never leave again," she demanded.

Sasuke chuckled. "Well, I have to be voted back into the charter, Mom. I can't just come in and say I'm staying because Mommy says to."

She waved her hand dismissively and linked her arm with his as they started towards where everyone was gathering in the center of the driveway. "Honey, this charter doesn't need to vote. Once Gaara writes up your transfer letter you're back in as our VP."

Sasuke shook his head. "Seriously Mom, it's not that easy. Naruto is the VP now and I can't expect to just have my position back just because I came back into town. I have to be voted in again and even then it's not likely that I'm just going to get my old position back when Naruto has already stepped in. It's not going to happen."

Tsunade yanked his arm and pulled him to a stop. They were still a good distance away from the rest of the group where the rest of the Konoha charter had joined. Sasuke glanced at the SUV to see Temari's rear end sticking out the backseat as she worked at getting Aiden out of the car seat. Tsunade gripped his chin and pulled his face toward her so she could look him in the eyes. Her other hand pulled off his sunglasses so her amber eyes could clash with his onyx eyes.

"Akatsuki needs balance. Your father is rather rash and he does things without looking at the big picture sometimes. Naruto is the same way so with him as VP there is two rash forces working together and running the club. You are more calculated. You always look for the path of least resistance and you're smart with every move that you make. Your father needs you to be his right hand man. With him as President and you as the Vice, you can balance each other out and work in harmony to make the best decisions for the club. Naruto will get his chance again, but in due time. When your father steps down and you take over, Naruto will be your right hand man and then you and your brother can work with the same harmony. It is how the club works and the boys all know it. There will be no need for a vote except for formality's sake." She smiled at him, her manicured thumb rubbing his cheek soothingly.

Sasuke took a deep breath and gave a small smile. "I love you, Ma."

She kissed his nose and repeated the sentiment back to him. They joined the group and the flurry of greetings. Sasuke scanned the crowd quickly, trying to find two people. He spotted the first easily enough because he was practically charging trough the crowd to get to him. Sasuke smiled as Itachi pushed passed the last person and pulled his little brother into a hug.

"Hey old man, how's it going?"

Sasuke laughed. "Who would have thought I would be a father before you? You're the older one and the one who's married. Is Ma still bugging you for grandchildren?"

Itachi shook his head and pulled away. "Nah, the good thing about you knocking up that junkie was that it gave her something to focus on and she could get off my back."

Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes but was interrupted before he could comment. A beefy hand clasped onto his shoulder with a strong grip and he turned to see the other person he had looking for. His father, Minato Namikaze, was a large man. He was tall, around his height, and muscled in such as way that it made him look huge. He was one of the oldest members in the club, his striking blonde hair getting grayer as the years went on. Despite the gray he still looked youthful and extremely intimidating.

"Welcome home, son," he muttered and pulled his stepson into a hug.

"Glad to be home, old man," Sasuke muttered into his shoulder as he patted him on the back. They pulled away from the hug and Minato looked over his son.

"You look good. We've been worried about you and the kid."

Sasuke ran a hand through his messy hair. "We're both good. Temari has been taking good care of us."

Minato clasped him on the back. "Good to hear. Where is that grandson of mine?"

Sasuke looked around for Temari and only saw her crazy ponytails sticking up just barely over the top of the crowd. He gestured towards the blonde hair and then grabbed his father's arm and started to tow him in the right direction. Directly behind them were his two brothers and his mother, eager to see the new addition to the family. Temari looked up from her conversation with Shikamaru and floated over to Sasuke ever so slightly, in her arms the baby carrier.

Tsunade shot out and was immediately gushing over the child. Within moments, Aiden was out of the carrier and in her arms and Tsunade turned her back on the other blonde woman so she could face her family. The boys crowded around her, admiring the baby boy. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder to see Temari standing almost dejectedly with the empty carrier in her hand. He reached over and momentarily grabbed her arm. She looked up in surprise and gave a sad looking smile when he offered one to her. He chewed on his lip and released her arm, turning his attention back to his family when they started gushing to him.

Soon the party drifted into the clubhouse. The clubhouse was the MC's base camp. The front room was the entertaining room. There was a bar, pool table, couches, kitchen, and a very large table. The next room, through a pair of double door, was the club's meeting room or the chapel. This was where the boys gather so they could make the important decisions for the club. The rest of the building was rooms, offices and bedrooms. There are enough rooms to hold at least two charters comfortably.

The next few hours went by quickly for the club. The boys and several old ladies all hung around the front room. Aiden was passed around to each of the Konoha members and their old ladies before he was finally settled into Tsunade's arms again. Sasuke sat at the bar across the room, watching as his mother cooed over his son while he smoked a cigarette. The boys of the Konoha charter were all around him, finally feeling like they were all one piece again. The charter was made up of nine men, their ages all ranging. The president was Minato, and the vice president was Naruto. Kiba was Minato's third in command, followed by Itachi. The other men were Neji, Jiraiya, Shikamaru, Shino and Choiji.

Sasuke took a drag on his cigarette, holding in the smoke for a few moments before releasing it slowly. His eyes lingered on his mother and his sister-in-law, Sayuki. They were settled on the couch across the room with Temari hovering closely by.

"He looks just like you," Minato muttered with a cigar between his lips.

Naruto leaned over the bar, his feet sticking up in the air. "Yeah, good thing too. It would really suck if he looked like that red-haired junkie bitch that you knocked up."

Sasuke snorted but choose not to comment. Karin was not a half bad person but she got messed up with all sorts of drugs. Sasuke had been seeing her casually in Suna and hadn't even thought twice about leaving her so he could transfer back to Konoha. But she got pregnant and he wasn't about to leave his child with a junkie so he stuck around to clean her up for the duration of her pregnancy. He had left her alone for only three weeks to do a run for the club and when he came back she had relapsed and had to be hospitalized. Aiden was born at twenty seven weeks and had to spend many weeks in the incubator. Karin was in rehab in Suna and Sasuke has sole custody of Aiden and was still undecided about whether or not he was still angry enough to deny letting her see her son.

Jiraiya took another drag on his own cigar. "It's good to see you back, kid. You remind me so much of your old man that it just feels right to have you sitting here with us."

Sasuke nodded sullenly, knowing it was meant as a compliment but still feeling bitter none the less. The raven knew the comment was pointed towards his biological father and not as his old man. To a lot of people, the term old man fit perfectly for both but there was a difference to him. His biological father was a coward and a bastard and his old man was the one who raised him and balanced out the club. Minato had been there for him when his stupid father hadn't. They may not always get along and he had more fights with the old man than his other brothers did, but Minato had always stuck around and that was more than what his sperm donor father could say.

"Yeah," Sasuke said to quickly change the direction of the conversation. "But it's too bad that it took one of our own going down to finally get me over here. It's a damn shame about Asuma."

The boys all nodded their heads sadly. "Funeral's tomorrow?" Sasuke asked.

Neji was the one who answered, toying with his cell phone. "Yeah, the viewing is tonight and the funeral is tomorrow. We have three more charters in the area coming in tomorrow but they have to roll out again right away."

Sasuke nodded and blew out another puff of smoke. "Well the Suna charter is here until Friday. Gaara is still learning the ropes of presidency and is going to stick around to observe how we all work." Sasuke tapped his cigarette over the ash tray, ridding it of the excess ashes.

"Good, we can have a meeting tomorrow and Gaara and his boys can observe. We have to have the transfer vote anyways so we might as well kill two birds with one stone," Minato said.

"Do we have a plan?" Sasuke asked meaningfully while looking at his father.

"Tomorrow's meeting," he said in a way that put an end to the discussion and then turned as Tsunade started to make her way over to them. She had Aiden in her arms still and the cigars and cigarettes were quickly put out as an unwritten rule that they never smoked in the presence of children.

Sasuke reached out and his blonde mother passed her grandson over to his father. Shikamaru's old lady Ino and Temari both strolled over as well. Ino leaned against Shikamaru, her arms wrapped around his waist while Temari moved to stand right beside Sasuke and Aiden. Tsunade sat herself on Minato lap and smiled at her son.

"I remodeled the extra bedroom at your house for Aiden while you were away. Are you going to head over there later or are you crashing here at the clubhouse tonight?"

Sasuke adjusted Aiden in his arms, the boy getting fussy from being passed around all day. His little hand gripped the pocket of Sasuke's cut, his vest. The boy yawned and rubbed his other hand other his face and let out a small whining. Sasuke cradled the boy and rocked him gently and in a soothing manner to try and coax the boy into a nap. He kept his attention on his son while he spoke.

"Um, I'll probably go home after the viewing tonight. I want to get sleep in my own bed for once and since Aiden has a room there, it makes sense."

Tsunade nodded with a smile. "Well you have your bike so I'll take Aiden in my car and you can follow. I'll help you get situated in the house again."

Sasuke smiled. "Thanks Ma. Do you have the Jeep or the Lexus today 'cause I have some stuff in Temari's SUV that I want to drop off at home?"

Tsunade smirked. "Mommy always has you covered. I brought the Jeep for this purpose. But don't forget to uninstall the carseat from Temari's car so you can install it in your Cutlass. Knowing you, you only bought one."

Sasuke laughed. "You know me way too well."

X

Sakura sighed and removed her hands from the steering wheel to tie her hair in a ponytail. It was late now, nearly eleven at night. She worked her first shift today, and after hardly sleeping last night, she was exhausted. She kept her eyes on the road and scanned the street names because she was still unused to the town and she couldn't make it home yet without having to hunt for the damn street.

'_Green Grove_' the street sign said and Sakura quickly returned her hands on the wheel so she could turn. When she turned she was greeted with the sight of three headlights in the darkness in front of her. With her window down, she could hear the rumble of a motorcycle and she slid her car over to the right side of the road, knowing her house was coming up and so the other vehicles could pass.

The vehicles didn't pass however. Just before she could turn into her driveway the motorcycle turned into the driveway of the house across the street. The car behind the biker pulled up behind the biker in the driveway. Sakura turned into her own driveway and slowly got out of her car. Glancing across the street she was surprised to see the same sexy Suna biker from earlier. He was dismounting his bike and an older woman was getting out of the car. She was very beautiful, older but youthful, and _very_ busty.

Sakura grabbed her purse and walked to her door, the front porch light flicking on as she walked up. Determined to keep her gaze away from the sexiest man she had ever seen, she focused on getting the stubborn lock open. Sometimes the door liked to stick because it was an old house and the locks badly needed to be replaced. It took some muscle for her to open it, but it was the sort of lock that thieves looked for because they were easy to break.

Getting the door open, she flicked on the light and quickly stepped inside. It still freaked her out to live alone so she always turned the light on before she entered. She closed the front door behind her and locked it before relaxing. Half the living room was in boxes but she was too tired at the moment to even think about working through the mess. Instead she threw her bag down and went to the bedroom.

She changed for bed, getting out of her scrubs and into a pair of shorts and a tank top. She moved to the bathroom next and did her nightly routine. After her bladder was empty, her teeth were brushed and her face was washed, she exited the bathroom and padded her bare feet into the kitchen. She filled a glass of water and then turned to head back to the bedroom, but stopped when looked out the window. The front window of the kitchen looked out onto the street and she could see the biker and the woman again.

She moved closer to the window and looked out. The biker and the older woman were exiting the house and both walked over to the car. The woman kissed the man's cheek and then climbed into the front seat while the man opened the back seat and grabbed a box. He closed the door and then leaned over the open driver's window for a moment before straightening out. The car slowly reversed out of the driveway and he watched the woman drive away before heading back into the house. He closed the door and then a few moments later a light flicked on and allowed her to see straight into what she assumed was his kitchen, judging by her limited view of the place. He set the box down on a table and then disappeared from view.

Sakura turned away, feeling like she was intruding on his privacy and quickly fled to her bedroom. Exhaustion finally took full grip of her and she climbed into bed and turned on her TV for some background noise. She settled deeply into the mattress, drifting to sleep while watching some late night television.

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><p><strong>Well, I hope you enjoyed and comment. I love hearing from you.<strong>

**EDIT: I have decided to put in a little mini glossary of some of the biker lingo the way that **SushiShibui**, the French author who I have given permission to translate my story(link in my profile if you would like to check it out), did because of the number of confused comments they were getting. Terms are usually explained in the chapters but this is here for extra explanation. Feel free to ask questions and I can add more as they come up.**

_**The Man Behind the Cut**_** Glossary:**

**Chapel: The meeting room of the MC.**

**Charter: A sort of subgroup or branch of the MC. Can pertain to a country, state, or city. In the case of this story, the club is divided into charters by city. Example, the Konoha charter is the maiden charter or group, and is based in the small town of Konoha. The Suna charter is based in Suna.**

**Church: Scheduled routine meetings that club members and prospects attend to discuss the happening of the club.**

**Clubhouse: This is the base camp of the MC. It is scared ground of sorts, the place where they call home.**

**Crow Eater: This is a loose woman who hangs around the club and entertains the boys of the MC. These women are generally not treated with respect, basically just girls who hang around to sleep with the boys.**

**Cut: a term used to describe the vest of a MC member or prospect. It can be leather or denim and displays the patches of the MC. On the back is the top rocker with the MC Name, the center patch with the MC symbol, and the bottom rocker usually displays a country, state, or city that member is affiliated with. Front usually has some smaller patches that my describe rank and achievements, or even personalized patches. Worn with great pride, it is the uniform of the MC. Can be called colors or cut.**

**Hang Around: a person who hangs around the club, trying to get in good with the members, but has not reached the Prospect level.**

**Nomad: A term used to describe a patched member of the MC who is not affiliated with any one city. They are in their own charter though they have no set home base. They travel from city to city and hold church in different places.**

**Officers: These are the patched members within each charter of higher rank. These are the members like the President, Vice President, Sergeant-at-Arms. The top three are the President, VP, and Sgt-at-Arms though there can be others like Treasurer or Road Captain. In the story there is no Road Captain. Those who do not have one of these titles or rank are considered non-officer members. Definition of the ****officers are as followed:**

**-President: the leader of the charter. Minato is the President of the Maiden charter while Gaara is the President of the Suna charter.**

**-Vice President: The second in command of the charter. Sasuke is the VP of the maiden charter, though Naruto stepped in for some time while Sasuke was in Suna. Someday Naruto will be the VP for good when Sasuke takes over as President.****Kankuro is the VP in the Suna charter.**

**-Sgt-at-Arms: The third in command and responsible for discipline within the charter. They are the right hand man to the President and are the first line of defense for any threat that the President may face. Kiba is Minato's Sgt-at-Arms. For a time, Sasuke was Gaara's right hand while he was in Suna. Someday Kisame will be Sasuke's Sgt-at-Arms.**

**-Treasurer or Secretary: This is the member who keeps track of the record books. They manage the collective club money. Neji is the Secretary of the maiden charter.**

**Old Lady: This is a term used for the ladies of the club. These are the women who are in serious committed relationships with patched members of the club. They can be girlfriends or wives. Unlike crow eaters, they are committed to one person and are treated with a level of respect by members and nonmembers alike.**

**One Percenter: A term used to describe outlaw biker clubs. It is said that 99% of all MCs are law-abiding citizens and only one percent are considered to be troublemakers. Those in the one percent are outlaw bikers.**

**Patched-In or Patched: This is when a person becomes an official member of a MC. They have proven themselves and have earned the right to wear their cut.**

**Patch-Over: When one MC decides to take over another MC. This can be to strengthen bonds, expand territories or allow the weaker MC to have a better support system. The weaker MC takes a vote and they drop their affiliation to their former MC and instead take on the persona of the stronger MC. They become another charter of the MC.**

**Prospect: This is a person who is in a trail basis regarding the club and hopes to patch in and join the MC. They wear a Prospect Cut and ride with the club though they are not considered one of them yet. They are considered lower than the patched members and offer are tasked to handle bitch work for patched members. After a certain required amount of time and a unanimous vote from all members within the charter, they are patched in as a new member of the MC.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Howdy. Still haven't updated Expansion or even finish editing Who's Back but here i am, the second chapter of a new story. I need to proiritize or something. I still haven't gotten my summer homework done yet and i have to read three books, write nine journals and complete two packets. I'm so screwed.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

A Day of Death

The next morning the whole town was in an uproar. As early as six in the morning, loud rumbles of hoards of motorcycles filled the air. Sakura was awoken to the sound of the biker across the street. When the pinkette came wandering into her kitchen, half in a sleepy daze, she looked out the window to see two men on bikes waiting for the biker and the same woman as last night there as well.

The sexy Suna biker came out of the house wearing all black with his leather vest over his dress shirt. In his arms was a baby which was quickly strapped into a car seat in the woman's sleek black Lexus. He then mounted his bike and waited for the car to pull out of the driveway. When the car was driving down the street, he and his two friends pulled out and disappeared from view quickly.

Sakura yawned and then hunted around her kitchen that, like the living room and pretty much the entire house, was filled with boxes. The reason for her hunt was to find the coffee maker, something she hadn't been able to find at all in the week that she had moved into the house. After opening a few more boxes she got fed up and headed into her bedroom to get dressed. She would have to go back to the café for her morning coffee again. She didn't have to work today so she was going to get her coffee and then she was going to come back home and hunt down that damn coffee maker.

She dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt before fixing her hair into a ponytail. She slipped on flip flops and then grabbed her purse and then exited the house and entering her car. She got the car started on the second attempt and quickly drove through the quiet morning streets towards Main Street. The same waitressed smiled at her when she entered.

"Morning, what can I get for you?"

Sakura sat down gracelessly. "Coffee, in a vat," she muttered which received a giggle from the woman.

"Coming right up, ma'am," she said before disappearing to get her order.

Sakura checked her phone for the time, seeing that it was nearing seven in the morning. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head. A now familiar rumble filled the air and slowly became louder and louder so that it wasn't just a rumble anymore. Sakura stared out the window in confusion as the roar outside became so loud it was almost unbearable. The waitress came up next to her with her coffee and looked out the window with her as the source of the noise came into view.

A black hearse slowly cruised down the street followed closely the largest herd of motorcyclists Sakura had ever seen. Right up front was men in vests that said Konoha followed closely by the sexy Suna biker and the rest of the Suna boys. Behind them were at least thirty or so more men though Sakura couldn't see what cities they were from. Directly behind the bikers was the usual procession of cars with the orange flags. The waitress put her hand to her heart as they passed.

"Poor Asuma," she muttered.

Sakura looked at her politely and gave her a sympatric look. "Asuma? Is that the person who died? Did you know him or her?"

The waitress gave a sad smile and placed the full cup in front of the pinkette. She pushed her bangs back and leaned back to watch the procession. "No, I didn't know him personally but the whole town feels his loss greatly. He was part of the MC, an older member at that."

Sakura chewed on her lip for a moment. "MC?"

The woman turned her stare away from the march outside to look at the confused pinkette. She flushed. "That's right, you're new in town and don't know about the MC," she said and then looked around for her boss. When she was sure she was clear she sat down opposite the young doctor.

"This town is basically run by a motorcycle club called the Akatsuki. They keep the town safe."

Sakura looked at her seriously. "Safe from what? Konoha has the lowest crime rate around."

The woman smiled. "Exactly. No one steps out of bounds and commits crimes because then they would have to deal with the MC. And not only that, they keep this town charming. There isn't big franchise chains coming in and putting the 'ma and pop' stores out of business. They protect the foundation of this town, our very livelihood."

Sakura looked at her strangely, feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She looked as the tail end of the procession rolled by. "So, they're basically a gang."

The woman shook her head. "They're protectors, not gang members. Asuma was run off the road by a member of a rival MC a few towns over. That MC is a gang, the Sound Militia, and they have been trying to get into Konoha for years. Akatsuki keeps them out and us safe."

Sakura resisted the urge to snort. She traded the bustling city for a small town thinking it would be safer for her. Just her luck that she happened into a small town ruled by a gang, in a war with a rival gang, and apparently has the entire town brainwashed. Perfect, just her damn rotten luck. And even worse, she still couldn't help feel attracted to that sexy Suna biker. She is hopeless.

- X -

The funeral was a somber event and after an hour of standing in the around afterwards for chit chat with the other charters, they rolled out. The three charters that rolled in and caused quite a stir this morning all rolled out again while the Konoha and the Suna charters went back to the garage. They parked and then went into the clubhouse somberly, pulling at ties and loosening belts. Minato threw down his cell phone and went straight into the meeting room, the chapel, lighting his cigar as he moved.

"Gather around boys, it's church time," he called as he moved before disappearing behind the one open door. In an orderly fashion, the boys pulled out their own phones and tossed them in a box outside the chapel doors and entered.

Minato was seated at the head of the table. The table was a thick mahogany with the club's patch carved into the center of the table. The Konoha boys sat down around the table while Gaara pulled up a chair to sit right beside the table. All of the Suna boys moved to stand around the table. They waited for Minato to speak.

Minato let out a large puff of smoke, looking around to see everyone settled and that the doors were firmly closed. He looked around his table, making eye contact with everyone of his boys before looking at Gaara and then Sasuke. He leaned back in his chair. "Welcome to our club, boys. As a new charter, this will be a chance for you all to observe and learn from our own charter, the original charter. Make yourselves at home. Watch, learn, have fun, but don't touch my woman. Not only will I have to kill you, but she is likely to chew you up and spit you out long before I get you." His comment was met by a low chorus of chuckles.

He brought the cigar back to his lips and let it hang there for a moment. He gestured loosely to his boys. "Our first order of business is a matter of house maintenance. Sasuke has a patch over letter written up by Gaara. Now, we all know the rules. No one is voted in or out without a unanimous vote from everyone in the club. All we need is a yah or a nay. I'll start," he said and then raised his hand slightly off the table. "Yah," he muttered.

They went down counterclockwise around the table. Kiba, as the sergeant-at-arms, sat to his right like he always had. He smiled. "Without a doubt."

Itachi smiled at his younger brother. "Like I could refuse."

Neji leaned back in his chair, smirking softly. "Yes."

Between Neji and Choiji was an empty chair, Naruto's old spot, so they skipped over it and moved right on to Choiji. Said man wiped his mouth to clear the crumbs of the chips he was eating. "Yup."

They skipped over the empty chair where Asuma used to sit and then moved onto Shino. "Yah."

Shikamaru took a drag on his cigarette. "This is so troublesome. It's not like anyone is going to refuse having our VP back."

Minato rolled his eyes. "Just say yes or no, shithead," he drawled.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yah."

Jiraiya was next, leaning back in his chair and smiling at his old friend's son. "Definitely."

Between Jiraiya and Minato was Naruto, sitting in the chair directly to the left of the President as is custom for the VP. Without skipping a beat, he nodded. "Hell yeah."

Everyone left out a cheer as Sasuke was officially voted back into the club. Sasuke smiled and nodded his head but remained seated where he was. Minato made eye contact with him before he began again.

Minato held his cigar between his large fingers and then looked at his boys again. "We have one more maintenance matter to deal with before we can move on. We have the matter of our VP to sort out. We have our current VP and then our former VP is now back in the group as well. Now we must sort out whether or not we want keep it as it is or whether we want to go back to how it was. We will do a majority vote to decide the matter. I say we go back."

They went around the table with the same results before they got to Naruto. He was silnt for a long moment and Sasuke held his breath, not wanting to step on his brother's toes and take away the power of VP from him, but desperately wanting his position back. Naruto Stared at him for a long moment before a smile broke out on his face as if he couldn't help it. "Dude, this is your job. I vote Sasuke as VP."

Sasuke left out a breath of relief and smiled softly, chewing on his lip and nodding his head. "Thank you, guys," he muttered.

Naruto stood up and waited for Sasuke to do the same. Slowly, Sasuke made his way over to his brother and the blonde man quickly pulled him into a hug. "It's nice to have you back," he said softly, letting his brother know he held no hard feelings about losing his seat of power. They released one another and Naruto returned to his chair between Neji and Choiji while Sasuke took his old seat back to the left of his father.

Minato flicked his wrist. "Where the hell is the prospect?"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "You know, I seriously doubt that kid. Sometimes he's the cleverest motherfucker I have ever seen with the biggest balls but other times I doubt that he even has a brain," he rambled as he stood up and wrenched open the door to peer out into the main room.

"Prospect! Where the hell did you disappear to!"

The sound of loud ungraceful steps sounded from the other side of the door followed by a loud crash and cursing. Kiba snorted at the door and shook his head. There were a few thuds and then a young man in plain leather cut entered the room in an ungraceful manner. His cut contained nothing but the word prospect on the back, meaning he was working to try to join the club. As a rule all new members must first just be a prospect and pay their dues in one way or another in a course of a minimum of one year. After the year, the club must have a unanimous vote for him to join and get his cut.

Kiba smacked him over the back of his head, shaking his head in an exasperated manner. "Come on, Prospect, get smart."

Konohamaru nodded and rushed over to sit down in the chair behind Minato. As he passed Sasuke, he stopped and handed him something leather folded up. Sasuke eyed it questionably and unfolded, only to smile and snort. It was his old cut, with his personal patches on the front and the Konoha patch on the back instead of the Suna patch he now wore. Looking around the table, he smiled softly and removed the cut he was wearing to put on his proper cut.

His cut had been personalized. In the front, the right side of the cut varied with each member of the club. By the right shoulder directly over the pocket, he had two patches. The first said 'VICE PRESIDENT' and then the second was directly underneath. It said 'SON of MAYHEM' because his old man was one of the original members of the Akatsuki. Naruto, Itachi, and Neji all had the same patch because their old men were the founding members of the MC. On the left side was a single patch over the pocket that said 'MC ORIGINAL' because he was part of the original charter and all of the Konoha boys had this one. The patch directly under this one said 'UNHOLY ONE', which Sasuke and a few others in the room including Kiba, Naruto, Minato, Jiraiya and Neji also had. This patch referenced that they had spilt blood for the good of the club. So far, as Suna was such a new charter, no one had this patch. The next patch was completely different from any of the other boys. Sasuke was the only one with an additional patch on his cut, situated on the left flank and lining the bottom of the ribcage. This patch said 'LEAF', the original name of the MC. The back of his cut was identical to the other boy's with the name, picture, and city name.

There were a few other patches that some members had that Sasuke didn't. Kiba, Minato's personal right hand man, had a patch that said 'SGT-AT-ARMS', his rank. This meant he was the first line of defense between unwanted enemies and the president. It is for this reason that Kiba is always at Minato's side, there to protect him. It is also for this reason that Minato's dirty work falls onto Kiba's back and thus his reputation for being a sick person when in actuality he just follows orders for the sake of the club. Another patch, worn my Neji, says 'SECRETARY' as he was the secretary/treasurer of the club. He managed the books, made sure the money went to the right places, at the right time, and made sure that all money was accounted for and distributed or collected in a timely manner. Of course, Minato had the 'PRESIDENT' patch as well as another patch saying 'FIRST 9'. When the charter was first created there had been nine members: Minato, Sasuke's and Itachi's biological father, Jiraiya, Neji's father who passed years ago, Asuma who had just passed, and four others who had eventually drifted away from Konoha and branched out to form their own charters under the Akatsuki name in different cities. Even though they are no longer part of the original charter, they are still considered royalty to a degree and are close to and in touch with Minato with the exception of Neji's father and Asuma who were now dead and the lost Uchiha who bailed.

Once back in his proper uniform, he leaned back in his chair and pulled out his cigarettes. He lit up and took a long drag. Minato momentarily smiled at his son before his expression changed to a serious one. He stared at the empty seat.

"We lost one this week. He was run off the road by a member of that damn Militia. We can't let that go without looking weak. More than that, however, we need to retaliate and get the bastard that did it to him. An eye for an eye. In a war like we are in, we can't give them an inch or else they will walk all over us. We aren't that weak as to let that happen."

Sasuke let out a long stream of smoke. "Do you know who did it? Do you have a plan?"

He nodded. "I had Shikamaru and Shino do some digging. The bastard that took Asuma down was second year member of the Militia. His name is Hibiki Lee and he has a routine. Boys, why don't you fill us in," he muttered and gestured towards the two men.

Shikamaru muttered a troublesome and then leaned forward to rest his arms on the table. "Wakes up with the wife and kids, leaves for work but actually goes to visit the girlfriend. Around noon he leaves and gets lunch at one of his favorite restaurants, a different place each day. Then he goes and hits the factory where he actually works. We think that is a Militia warehouse, producing whatever the hell it is that they make as a cover for their drug manufacturing."

Shino adjusted his sunglasses that he never seemed to take off. "Trucks and the Militia are constantly coming in and out of there. If we were to go in there, it would be a suicide mission. However, it's good to know where one of the warehouse is in case we ever need to send a big message to them, if you caught my drift," he sad and then looked around. Minato nodded.

Shikamaru leaned back again in a relaxed manner. "He leaves around ten at night on a regular day. If it isn't a regular day, he leaves several times a day to do some drug runs for his club. Our best chance is to catch him while he is on the road. He won't have any one of his little friends to watch his back, and depending on the road, minimum witnesses to bite us in the ass later."

Sasuke nodded his head confidently and leaned forward to rest his forearms on the table. "I'll do it. I want to get this bastard."

Minato nodded. "Fine, but you can't go alone." He looked around the table and made eye contact with all of them. He flicked his wrist and smoke floated through the air in wisps. "Take Naruto and Kiba with you."

Gaara's brother raised his hand against the wall. "I want to come too."

Minato looked at him and then looked to the young president of Suna. The red-haired man nodded in permission and Minato nodded in agreement. "Fine. Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba and Kankuro will go. We do it tonight and the rest of us will hold down the fort here."

Naruto snorted. "So, basically, while we are doing the dirty work you guys are going to be here partying your asses off."

Jiraiya laughed heartily. "You know it, squirt."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks angrily and pointed at the white-haired man across the table. "Don't call me squirt, you old fart!"

Minato kicked his son's chair. "Enough, you two. We are all in agreement now. This meeting is over and our men need to prepare for the mission tonight," he said and then slammed the gavel that was sitting next to him down on the table. As soon as the gavel sounded, the boys stood, the doors opened and everyone was filing out of the room.

His mother was sitting in the main room, waiting for them. She was leaning against the pool table with Aiden in her arms. Sasuke went to her, cooing over his child briefly before looking at his mother with a pleading smile. "You know I love you, right?"

She took a deep breath and looked at him impatiently. "What do you want?"

He toyed with Aiden's hat, choosing not to look at his mother while he spoke. "Well I have something to do tonight and I need someone to watch him until I get back."

She raised an eyebrow. "Something to do? What kind of something? Like, girl something or something else?" she asked, gesturing with her head across the room. Sasuke looked over his shoulder to see Temari staring over at them. She looked way when a croweater, a term for a girl that hangs around the club and its members and sleeps around, offered her a cup of coffee. This struck the raven as odd, seeing as the croweaters looked out for no one but themselves and offered their respect only to the old ladies of the club and the members themselves. It didn't make sense for the croweater to be offering Temari coffee because the blonde had no rank in the club. She wasn't a croweater, an old lady, or even a sweetbutt (a girl who was exclusively part of the club, unlike croweaters, and gets passed around the members until one of them makes a claim on the girl and she becomes an old lady). Temari was just a friend of the club. It didn't make sense but he didn't have time to really focus on it. He rolled his eyes and looked at his mother.

"Club business, Mom," he said in a matter-of-fact tone, focusing his attention back on his mother and forgetting about the blonde woman.

She nodded approvingly and then glanced at the blonde across the room again. "What's with you and her?"

Sasuke took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. So much for forgetting about her. "Nothing. She just helped me out with Aiden back in Suna."

Her face clearly said she was unconvinced. "Oh, that's it? Nothing more happened? You didn't sleep with her or anything?"

Sasuke groaned and looked down. This was all Tsunade needed. She shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Tsk, tsk, young man. That woman over there is clearly in love with you and she was just some hot pussy for you. Damn you boy, you need to start thinking with the right head because you have a son now and the endless train of woman that is practically glued to your dick is going to get old. I'm not here to be Mommy all over again. Find a girl and settled down already so I can be grandma for once."

Sasuke leaned against the pool table next to her laughed once. He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you want me to settle down with Temari?"

Tsunade snorted and her eyes widened. "Oh, god no! She's a good girl and she's good with the club, with two brothers in the club in all, and she isn't some whore like all the other girls that are good with the club. And she's strong, well you have to be with our lot, but she's not meant for you. She can hold her own, but with you she's like a lost dog, a submissive bitch that you rule over. You need a girl that can hold her own against you, someone to whip your ass into shape and call you on your bullshit. You are just like your Daddy in that way and it's the reason why he and your mother didn't work out. She was a great woman and a fine mother, but she was submissive to him and he walked all over her and then got bored."

Sasuke stared at the ground glumly. He hated talking about his father and hated it even more that everyone said he was just like his father. A chip off the old block, they always say. Sasuke hardly knew the man and yet he grew up to be just like him. How the hell does that happen?

"And it's the reason he started seeing you, right? You called him on his shit and he couldn't resist your natural charm."

She laughed once. "Yes. You are just like him, you're restless. If you get a girl that is a little bitch _with _you, you will get bored and look for something more. If you find a girl that is a bitch _to _you, you will be happy. Things will be stable enough that you will be happy and able to settle down, but things will never be boring and you won't have to be constantly searching because you will have a woman that's the perfect amount of mystery and change for you."

Sasuke looked at her strangely. "So you want be to settle down with a complete bitch with constant mood swings? Honestly, I've already had that when Karin was pregnant and it fucking sucked."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. She lifted one hand and smacked him lightly. "Do you have selective hearing or something? Did you get anything I just told you? A swear, you are just like your father. In one ear and out the other, you need to be told more than once for anything to stick."

Sasuke shook his head and kissed his mother on the cheek. "No, I get it. When I find the right girl, it will happen and until then I'm going to take it easy with the woman because I have to think about my son. I'm in the stage in life where I have to start looking and I know it."

The blonde mother smiled at her son and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You are such a good son. I'll watch Aiden for you. When will you be getting home?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't imagine it will take long. Midnight at the latest, I think."

"Well, be safe. I'll take care of Aiden so you don't have to worry about it. Just come back in one piece, whatever you're doing."

Sasuke pushed away from the pool table and nodded. He gave his mother another kiss on the cheek and then bent forward to kiss Aiden's head quickly. He gently squeezed his son's hand and then headed out the door, feeling powerful in his cut. When he was in Suna, he got respect for being their mentor but he didn't have an official title there. Now, with the proper cut back in its place and his patches, he was the Konoha Prince all over again. People looked at him in awe as he walked by, respected him more than they did in Suna. He had real power here.

He mounted his Harley and revved the engine twice before he zoomed through the streets. The trek to the house was automatic, done without thought. He pulled up and dismounted and glanced around the street once. He froze halfway off his bike when he noticed a familiar ugly Beetle in the driveway across the street. He ran through his memory quickly, remembering that an old man used to live there. It was quite possible that he had passed away and now a certain beautiful pinkette was living there now.

He smirked and then fully climbed off his bike before making his way into the house. Damn him for swearing to take it easy right before he found out about the beautiful woman across the street.

X

Naruto was slouched in the seat next to Sasuke, his feet sitting on the dashboard. He had a pencil that he had found in the truck balanced on his nose, entertaining himself after the long hours of just sitting around. Sasuke sat in the driver's seat, keeping an eye on the factory and for their target. On the dashboard sat a piece of paper with the target's license plate number on it and a picture of the guy. Next to that was a walkie-talkie so that they could communicate with the two other boys on their bikes. Kiba was positioned behind them, pulling up the rear while Kankuro was parked up the road, making sure the target didn't get passed them. None of them wore their cuts tonight, not wanting the club to be linked with this if they somehow slip up and get caught.

"This is boring," Naruto complained, letting the pencil drop.

Sasuke sighed and then picked up the walkie-talkie. He pushed the button and stared out the windshield as the familiar crackle filled the air. "Who the hell decided it would be best to stick me with the blonde idiot? I swear if I hear him complain one more time I'm going to kill him instead of the target."

Naruto huffed and the familiar crackled filled the air again while Kiba responded. "Well, you grew up with him so you have more patience for his shit. I would have killed him at least an hour ago."

The crackled filled the air again while Kankuro spoke up. "God, I thought I had it bad with Gaara and Temari as siblings. I'm never taking them for granted again."

Naruto snatched the walkie-talkie out of his older brother's hands. "Fuck you, ya bastards!"

Sasuke chuckled and lightly elbowed his brother. He stopped however, when the factory door opened and out stepped their target. Sasuke nudged Naruto, who nodded back. He gripped the walkie-talkie and pushed the button. "We have eyes on the target," he muttered.

The target moved over to his Harley and mounted. He started it up and then maneuvered out of the parking lot and onto the road. The driveway was just in front of where Sasuke and Naruto were parked so they waited until he entered the road before moving around him.

"We're on the move, target in sight. He's heading your way, Kankuro," Naruto muttered into the crackle.

"Right behind you," Kiba responded.

"I'm ready, just get him over here," Kankuro said.

Sasuke followed the biker closely and then glanced behind himself to look in the bed of the truck. He chewed on his lip and then looked at his brother. "Take the wheel."

Naruto looked at him in alarm. "No, I got this."

Sasuke looked at him quickly then turned his attention back on the road. "Don't fuck with me. We will only have one chance at this and I have better aim and better balance. Now take the wheel so I can do this."

Naruto cursed but grabbed the wheel anyways. Sasuke removed his foot from the gas and shifted, thankful he hadn't bothered with his seatbelt. He leaned back and opened the small window in the rear of the truck and forced his body through the small opening. Naruto shifted right behind him and slid into the driver's seat, pushing his foot on the gas to make up for lost ground. Sasuke tumbled ungracefully into the bed of the truck and then pulled himself up so that he was on his feet.

There was a lead pipe in the bed and Sasuke grabbed it before bending down and shouting to his brother inside the cab. "Get me on his left," he said and then gripped the top of the cab for a little more balance as Naruto jerked the wheel and sped up. Sasuke could tell that the target was completely clueless as to what was going on as he got closer. However, their plot was soon discovered when he glanced at the truck alongside him and noticed him in the bed.

Sasuke acted quickly so the target couldn't speed up and get away. He jammed the pipe down into the rear wheel of the man's bike. The bike jerk and skid before spending the rider flying off of it as it crashed into the pavement and the sound of metal screeching filled the air. Kankuro came flying around the corner and stopped in the middle of the road, preventing the man from being able to run off if he got up. Kiba moved in from behind while Naruto stopped the truck and Sasuke jumped out of the bed.

The man was groaning on the ground, withering on the ground. The other boys joined Sasuke on the pavement while the raven moved over to stand over the man. He kicked him just for the hell of it. The man let out a yell and groaned again. The other boys were standing back, admiring the scene of the wreck and checking for witnesses. Sasuke looked away for a moment, taking in the scene as well.

He looked away for only a moment but when he looked back, the man on the ground quickly pulled a gun from his waist and fired three times before Sasuke could react. Sasuke gasped as he felt three bullets connect with his body. One hit his stomach, the other his chest while the last just grazed his arm. He fell back and smashed into the pavement while he heard the boys shouting and then guns firing.

Sasuke groaned and then he felt hands on him, pulling him away from the target. Sasuke groaned again at feeling the pavement scrap across his skin. He didn't understand what his stupid blonde brother didn't just pick him up. Naruto is Minato's biological son so he inherited his father's size. Out of the three brothers, Naruto was the youngest but the biggest. He didn't have an ounce of fat on him, just muscle and could easily throw Sasuke around, who was the smallest out of the three. Both Itachi and Sasuke got their figures from their father. Though they both were tall and slender, Sasuke was much leaner than their old man and brother and was jokingly called a twig by his family even though he was slightly taller and fitter than the average male his age.

"Fuck, put me down," he muttered.

A few moments later he was by the truck's wheel and he winced as he shifted his arm.

"Hey, don't move," Naruto yelled in a panic.

Sakura rolled his eyes. "Shut up, I'm fine. He got the vest."

Kiba was hovering over him the next moment, his hands running over his chest and abdomen. He blinked in confusion before lifting his shirt to see the bullet-proof vest underneath. Sasuke normally didn't wear one but today he had just felt weird when he had gone home to prepare. He felt sort of silly putting it on, but I paid off in the end. It saved his life today.

Kiba ran a gloved hand through his hand. "Damn, you scared the shit out of us."

Sasuke groaned and sat up, knowing he was going to have some pretty nasty bruises tomorrow. No doubt they were already forming. He examined his arm where the third bullet had actually met skin. It wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought it was going to be. He wouldn't need to do much to treat it. Otherwise all he needed to do was have a drink.

Sasuke examined his clothes. He had three holes in his shirt and he was splattered with blood. He must have been too close to the target when they opened fired because none of the blood was his own. Sasuke groaned, hating this guy more by the moment. First he killed his friend, shot at him, and then ruined his shirt. Sasuke looked at the body a small distance away and pointed his gun at it. He fired with quick succession and soon what used to be a face was just a bloody stump of mutilated flesh.

"Bastard," Sasuke muttered darkly before slowly getting to his feet.

The fun part was over and now it was just time for the cleanup. They needed to get the bike off the road and the body needed to be dumped. They could take the bike back to the garage and strip it for parts. The body would probably be burned and his face was a mutilated stump so dental records would be useless. They would dump and burn the remains in a shallow grave outside of Konoha. Part of the deal they had with the town was they had free reign as long as their shit stays out of Konoha.

- X -

Sakura nervously adjusted a stray piece of hair. She stood in front of the mirror doing the last minute adjustments to her newly curled hair. She wore a tank top with thick straps, her pink bra straps sticking out no matter how much she tried. She wore a jean skirt that went down to mid-thigh and she wasn't exactly completely comfortable wearing. It would do though, because it was the only thing in her closet that wasn't a pale pair of jeans or too dressy.

After seeing the funeral procession and having the darling chat with the waitress, whom Sakura learned name is Kimi, she had continued speaking with the pretty waitress. Before she left the woman had begged and pleaded with the pinkette for her to accompany her to a party at the local Auto Shop, a party hotspot apparently. Kimi said it was to get her introduced to the people of the town and Sakura couldn't leave without saying yes to the offer.

Sakura sighed and glanced over herself in the mirror while chewing on her lip. She had on a little makeup which was odd for her because she chose to go natural most days. But for this sort of event, it was best to get all dolled up, she would assume. Plus, though she wasn't really willing to admit it, she sort of hoped she would see her sexy neighbor. It was a small enough town that it could happen.

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><p><strong>Before you kill me, i promise they will meet in the third chapter. I have it all planned out. A good amount of SasuSaku in the next chapter so you are just going to stick around for it.<strong>

**Review please?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Busy so i'm not going to say much. Enjoy**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Party Foul

A knock sounded at the door and Sakura rushed to go get it. She let Kimi in, brushing off the compliments on how good she looked. She blushed at the comments and was suddenly very aware of how messy the house was. "Sorry about the mess. I've been trying to clear everything out but my grandfather was a major packrat."

Kimi waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I still live with my parents so this is heaven to me," she said with a smile.

Sakura pulled on a pair of brown boots before grabbing her purse and locking up the house. They took Kimi's car because it actually ran and she was far more familiar with the streets. After a few twist and turns, they were pulling up to the Auto Shop and Sakura was very surprised to see how many people were there. There was a large lot and, besides the driveway, there were people everywhere. Sakura saw a long line of motorcycles and realized with a start that her chances of seeing the sexy biker was a lot higher than she had originally thought.

They parked and climbed out and then it wasn't long before she was being introduced to a flurry of bikers and woman in slutty outfits. It was intimidating and overwhelming, being passed from group to group. A lot of the men were large, scruffy and just plain scary looking. Others were young, smaller, and relatively cute but extremely perverted. Most of the woman sneered at her as if she was a threat to them somehow. She got offered more drinks than she could even count and she refused each one. Soon she got her hands on a glass of pop but disguised it in a plastic red cup. This lowered the drink offers slightly.

She must have been there for at least a few hours when she heard a rumble and saw four headlights coming in. She saw two men on bikes and then a truck pull in after them and park. Sakura was about to turn away when she noticed the passenger door to the truck open and the sexy biker step out. It was dark so she couldn't see him very well but she could see him clearly enough to know it was him and that he looked tired. He didn't notice her as he went straight into a large building towards the entrance. The door was closed and the party obviously wasn't allowed in there, but he seemed to know the place well enough that no one bothered him.

"What's that building over there? It's not part of the garage, is it?" Sakura asked Kimi.

She looked around to see what she was talking about and then shook her head. "No, that's the clubhouse. It's the base camp for the MC and only members of the club and their friends are allowed in. That's why the party is out here in the lot. Let me tell you, there is probably an even better party happening in there."

"Have you ever been in there?" Sakura couldn't help but ask.

Kimi shook her head. "Only in my dreams."

Sakura nodded and then was quickly left alone when Kimi excused herself to get a refill. Sakura sat down on a wooden picnic table and calmly sipped her drink, staring into the distance at the boxing ring they had by the clubhouse. There were two men without shirts attempting to beat the crap of the other while men and woman alike yelled and cheered with drinks in their hands. She must have been there for at least a half hour all alone before someone sat down next to her. When she looked over to see who was invading her personal space, she was alarmed to see a large man leering at her. He placed his beefy man on her bare knee.

"Hey, honey, you look lonely."

Sakura tried to shift out of his grip and then slid over slightly so she was hanging off the edge of the seat. "I'm fine."

He scooted closer to her and replaced his hand, this time slightly higher. "Don't be like that, honey. I'm just trying to get to know you."

Sakura pushed his hand off and moved to get up. The man quickly gripped her wrist, jerking her hand and accidently making her spill her drink all over her white tank top. She gasped and pulled herself into a standing position. The man followed suit and put his hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer. Her small form crashed against his, her lesser height making her stomach rub against the hard on the drunken man was sporting. She struggled to pull herself free but her struggling seemed to excite him more because her body was rubbing against him.

"Oh, yeah, baby, that feels nice."

She was starting to panic, using her free hand to hit him on the chest. "Please, let me go," she pleaded.

"Let you go?" he laughed. "But we're just starting to have fun."

Sakura whimpered, the man's grip on her wrist quickly becoming painful. She trembled in his grip, becoming suddenly terrified. She left the city for this. She left the dangerous city to get away and she ended up in a situation like this, trapped in the grip of a drunken biker groupie. He didn't have the vest like the members of the MC so she knew he wasn't a part of the gang but he had the look. He was just a wannabe. She was trapped in the grasp of a wannabe. Why do things like this always happen to her?

"I think you should let her go, buddy," A strong, velvety but harsh voice said.

Sakura twisted her head to look at her savior, someone who was willing to step in a stop this from happening. Her tear glistened eyes took in the sight of the sexy biker standing behind her, glaring at the man holding her. He had a baby in his arms, but he still looked incredibly intimidating. A chill ran down her spine at the sight of his dark eyes glaring with such hatred at the man.

As if by a miracle, the man suddenly let go of her and stepped away quickly. She blinked in surprise, still trembling. The man raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry man, I didn't mean anything by it. Sorry," the man gushed, looking afraid.

The biker nodded and gave a disbelieving look. "Yeah, I'm sure you didn't," he said while he stepped forward and shifted the child in his arms so he had a free hand. He hooked his hand around her arm and dragged her away, barely giving her enough time to scoop up her bag from the table.

He dragged her off the lot and moved her towards a black Oldsmobile Cutlass parked along the curb outside the gates of the Auto Shop. Once he was sure they were away from everyone, he let her go and leaned against front hood of the car. He gave a small smile but kept his distance from her very carefully. He adjusted the child in his arms.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded shakily and took a deep breath. She looked down at her ruined shirt and cursed softly. Then she looked up in surprise and covered her mouth, remembering there was a child with them. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to curse in front of your baby."

He shrugged. "I curse like crazy and so does the rest of my family so I'm not fooling anyone. I'll be the first to admit that I'm half expecting his first word to be 'fuck' or something like that."

She gave a small smile, finding his response funny and calming her mood. She took a deep breath, feeling suddenly safe here with this stranger. She knew in the back of her head that she should still be afraid. She was with this stranger, someone who was part of a gang of sorts and could strike fear in the heart of a man twice his size by a simple statement and a look. She should be terrified by him but she found she couldn't.

His presence was calming. Her heart had slowed to a manageable and calmer level, her legs already more stable than before. She could breathe again, looking at this strangely handsome man with a baby in his arms. He looked safe and stable, caring and like he was a good man behind a tough exterior. He looked like the perfect man, even though she knew that it was probably hardly the case.

Her eyes dragged down his body slowly. He was wearing different clothes than what she had seen him in when he exited the truck earlier, now wearing blue jeans, white shoes and a large black pullover sweatshirt with some sort of writing on it but she couldn't make out what it said because he had his leather vest over it. His hair looked wet too, as if he had showered though still looked uncombed. The child, she noticed, was a boy with a blue hat on and wrapped securely in a blanket. His little hand was wrapped around the necklace the man was wearing, a dog tag and a small life-like pistol on a chain. A quick glance at the dog tag and she could see the same picture that was on the child's hat and on the back of the man's vest was on the tag.

He looked down the road. "Well, I hate to be presumptuous, but I have to get this little one to bed and I'm pretty sure you live across the street from me. If you want, I could give you a ride?"

Sakura only hesitated for a moment. Her hesitance had nothing to do with the fact that he was a gang member or even just the fact that he was a stranger to her. She hesitated because she thought of ditching Kimi here at the party but then remembered that she had ditched her a while ago. The girl should have been gone for five minutes, maybe ten tops, but she never came back after a half hour. Sakura doubted she was going to get a ride home from her and would probably have to walk if she didn't take him up on his offer.

"Yeah," she said and stepped closer to the car. The biker smirked and walked around to the passenger door of the Cutlass and opened it with his one free hand. He made a gesture towards the seat and she offered a small, shy smile as she climbed in, feeling embarrassed because no man had ever held the door open for her.

"I'm Sasuke, by the way. Sasuke Uchiha," he said as he closed the door.

He walked over to the driver's side and opened the door before moving the seat forward. The car only had two doors and a quick glance into the backseat, Sakura saw that there was a car seat situated in the middle of the bench seat. While he leaned over to strap his baby in, Sakura spoke.

"I'm Sakura Haruno. I'm new to town, just moved into my grandfather's old house a week ago."

Sasuke nodded and then moved the seat back into place when his son was situated. He climbed into the seat and closed the door. He didn't bother with a seatbelt, Sakura noticed dimly but she wasn't about to comment on it. He started the car and maneuvered out of the space expertly. He glanced at his son once before he started down the street and towards their houses. Sakura looked at his relaxed posture, only his left hand on the wheel. The right, she noticed was resting in his lap, tilted upward so he could grab the bottom of the wheel if he needed to. She noticed dimly he wore two large square rings, one on his middle finger while the other was ring finger. The rings had two letters on each ring, spelling out LEAF.

"Yeah, I knew the old man. He was actually a good friend of my old man. When my old man was younger he worked that the family store that your granddaddy owned. If I recall, my old man knew his daughter too, probably your mother, right?"

Sakura nodded. Her mother had no siblings so if his "old man" knew her "granddaddy's" daughter, then it was definitely her mother. She glanced at the man next to her. They were family friends. It was weird to think about. She had no clue that her family had any association with gang members. And to think, she was less involved and safer in the city than she was in this small town. Who would have thought that was possible?

The child in the backseat suddenly let out a cry, probably upset that he was still up at this time of night. Sasuke glanced behind him quickly before turning his attention back to the road. His left hand still gripped the top of the steering wheel while his other was twisted around to gently grab at the child foot. He seemed to wince when he moved his right arm that way, but the discomfort disappeared from his face as soon as it came.

"Don't worry, Aiden. Daddy is going to get you home really soon," he assured and rubbed his son's foot soothingly. The child didn't seem to care and let out another cry, bursting into loud shrieking sobs.

Sakura decided to step in since Sasuke was driving. She removed her seatbelt and twisted in the seat so she was fully facing him. She reached out and put a hand on his strapped in stomach before gently touching his cheek soothingly. "Oh, that's okay, sweet baby. There's no need to be fussy. You're a big boy, aren't you," she said while rubbing his cheek and stomach alternatively. She could feel Sasuke's eyes on her but she ignored it in favor of calming down the child. Soon enough, he did.

She smiled, rubbing his stomach gently and turned her head to look at her companion. She flushed deeply when she noticed his gaze shifting over to her ass that was sticking up before returning to the road. She moved quickly but in a casual manner as to not let on that she saw him checking her out. She smiled shyly, thankful that it was dark enough in the car to disguise the pink blush on her cheeks.

"You're good with kids," he commented, crawling down Main Street at the correct speed limit. Normally he would be going at least ten over but tonight he felt no need to rush.

She shrugged and looked out her window. "I work at St. Thomas Hospital. I'm a surgeon, specializing in neonatal and pediatric care so I work with babies and young children all day."

Sasuke snorted. "No shit," he said and Sakura turned to look at him strangely. He glanced at her quickly and gave her a mischievous, sexy grin. "Looks like we are going to get to know each other pretty well in the next few months." He gestured with his head towards the backseat. "He's a preemie so I have to take him for all sorts of check-ups constantly."

Sakura glanced at the baby in backseat, watching as Aiden moved around in an impatient manner. She smiled and was suddenly determined to get Aiden's case if she could help it. She would steal charts if she had to.

They pulled off of Main Street and took a few more twists and turns before they were finally driving down their street. He slowed as they approached the houses and he turned into the driveway of his house. When he opened the door, he winced again as he pulled his right arm too much. Sakura blinked in confusion and observed him as he climbed out and moved the seat forward to get Aiden out. He was using his left arm mostly, she noticed while avoiding the use of his right the best he could.

"Is your arm okay?" she couldn't help but ask.

He looked up at her in surprise, where she was still seated in the passenger seat. His eyes moved over her face carefully, as if he was searching her, before he turned away. He looked at his right arm. "Yeah, I'm fine. I caught myself on something in the garage today. It was hot and burned me a little, but it's fine. I just grazed it, it will heal in a few weeks," he said in a casual manner.

She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before looking at her house and then back at him. He had pulled his son out of the car seat and his situation him in a firm hold in his left arm. He stood to his full height and closed the door, leaving the seat forward because he must have had no desire to move it with his right. Sakura climbed out as well with her bag over her shoulder and then leaned against the open door to stare at him from across the top of the car.

"You should let me look at it."

He looked at her uncertainly then glanced at the house while pressing his lips into a thin line. Sakura spoke again with a small sweet smile. "I just want to make sure it gets cleaned and treated properly. You have a doctor across the street, take advantage of my skills," she said in a light voice and added teeth to her smile. While she wouldn't describe herself as gorgeous, she knew she was a pretty girl and if she gave her smile the right way, she could pretty much get her way with most people.

He faltered for a moment before nodding slowly. He offered a small smirk and thanked her before heading towards the front door. He opened the front door with is right hand, not once wincing as he did so Sakura took it as a good sign that his injury wasn't bad. He let her in, flicking on a light right by the door. Sakura looked around.

A few feet to her left was an opening that led to the kitchen. If you went straight, you entered the living room. A few feet before living room was a hallway on the right that Sakura assumed led to the bedrooms. The wall that separated the living room and the hall was broken, so that the wall was about waist height with pillars that when up in to the ceiling. This gave the illusion that the living room was more open than it actually was. There was an opening in the back of the living room that probably lead to the kitchen, basically meaning you could go in a circle if you wanted to. When Sakura stepped farther into the house, she looked down the hallway. At the end was a bathroom from the looks and had three other doors in hallway. There was one on the right side, and two on the left. Judging by the distance between the doors, one must have been a closet while the other was a bedroom. It was a small house but had a very homey feeling to it.

The house looked lived in. There were dishes in the sink and framed pictures on the wall in the hallway. There was a flower pot sitting on the counter that someone had forgotten to water. A bin of cleaning supplies sat perched on the dividing wall forgotten. There were a couple of coats by the door and baby toys sitting in the living room. She could imagine him moving around the house, along with the other bikers.

"I probably don't have as much as you do, but I have a small first aid kit in the bathroom closet." He led her down the hall and pointed towards the open bathroom door before he disappeared in the bedroom on the left. When she passed, she glanced in and saw that it was a nursery. She entered the bathroom and quickly looked for the light switch. There was a nightlight on by the sink so it was easy to spot the switch on the wall on the right.

It was a decent sized bathroom. The sink was almost directly across from the door and the toilet was to the right of the door. On the left wall was a door, which was probably the closet, and the right corner was dominated by the bathtub. The tub was pretty big, probably fit two people comfortably, and was caged by glass with a sliding door. Sakura eyed it for a long moment before moving over to the closet. The first aid kit was easy to find, but she had to jump to reach it. She struggled for a few minutes to reach it before she was able to finally get it down.

When she exited the bathroom Sasuke was exiting the nursery without Aiden. He had a baby monitor in his hand and he gently closed the door behind him. She smiled and raised the first aid kit before he nodded and led her back to the kitchen. He turned on the light and went over to the sink grabbed a glass of water while she set the kit down on the table and opened it to see what he had.

Sasuke came and joined her at the table while shrugging out of the leather vest. He folded it with care and set it aside on the table before trying to pull the sweatshirt off. Sakura noticed dimly that the sweatshirt said 'REAPER' in white letters across the chest and nothing else. He got his left arm out just fine and had to maneuver his head out before attempting his right arm. Sakura stood up and helped him out, grabbing the article of clothing and helping him get his head out without tweaking his arm. She pulled until he was out of the article completely.

He wasn't wearing a shirt underneath and Sakura couldn't help but notice his lean form. He was muscled in a delicate way, hiding the skinniness behind the bulky sweatshirt. He was also more tattooed than she had thought.

He had a tattoo on his right forearm of a gravestone. The gravestone said Obito and had a tricycle on it like it was the gravestone for a child. Behind the gravestone was the grim reaper that looked like the grim reaper on the back of his vest. On his chest, directly over his heart was the name Aiden is a beautiful script. On his right, lining the bottom of his ribcage was the words "Fear the Reaper" and he had a large back piece done. It was identical the back of the vest, with Akatsuki written across the top, the picture of the grim reaper in the middle with the MC underneath the red cloud and the name Konoha tattooed on his lower back. It was incredibly detailed and even Sakura had to admit it was sexy when she had a track record for going for cleaner cut guys.

The next thing she noticed was the scars and the bruises. He had a long scar in direct center of his chest, maybe eight to ten inches long. She knew just by looking at it that it was a surgical scar and a quick glance told her it was a very old one at that. She also noticed that he had two nasty bruises forming on his torso. One was high on his abdomen while the other was low on his chest. With his right arm lying straight down, it almost looked like the three marks lined up loosely.

She turned his attention back to the matter at hand and looked at his arm. Something had definitely had grazed him, breaking layers of skin. It wasn't too bad, but it was worse than she had thought it was going to be considering how well he was moving around. She would expect him to be in more pain than he seemed to be. She sucked in a breath through her teeth at the sight of it.

"On a scale of one to ten, one being the least and ten being the most, what is your pain level?" she asked as she dug through the kit and began cleaning out the wound gently.

He sipped his water calmly. "It's not bad. I've had much worse. Maybe a four."

She nodded and put ointment on the wound before wrapping it loosely to allow the injury to breathe. "Well, I would suggest that you take some aspirin for the pain. Try to keep the wound clean and wrap it loosely and it should heal nicely. There may be a scar though," she muttered as she started to clean up the mess they made.

She moved around the room and he pointed out where the trash can was while he helped clean up the kit. He didn't bother covering up again, making Sakura feel slightly uncomfortable around the half naked handsome man. The half naked man she had just met. The incredibly sexy half naked man that she had just met but watched secretly from when she got the chance . . . Well now she felt creepy.

With him standing and moving around now, she noticed that his pants didn't quite fit him. They fit the length of his long legs, but they were baggy on him. He also wasn't wearing a belt and the waist was a bit too big for him so they were slowly drooping as he moved. He was wearing black boxers, she noted with a blush. Black boxers that were positioned low on his hips and exposed more pale skin than there needed to be shared at this point in their relationship.

"Well, it's been a long night, so I'm going to head home now," Sakura said quickly, trying to get out of there quickly now. It was getting really uncomfortable, too uncomfortable for her liking.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll walk you," he offered and started for the door with the baby monitor in his hand.

She flushed and dumbly followed after him. "O-oh, no, you don't need to do that. I'm just right across the street. I can manage it by myself."

He turned and gave her an incredibly sexy grin. It was small, and was roguish in a way that seemed like natural and like he didn't have a clue it looked this way. His dark eyes shined dimly in the weakly lighted porch. "Well I'm sure you can manage it just fine, but I'm still going to walk you to your door. What kind of man would I be if I just let a girl wander off into the dark unknown of nighttime by herself? It's not how I was raised."

He was already closing the front door and was climbing off the small porch. Sakura couldn't help but laugh at him and he looked at her in slight confusion. She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled playfully. "The dark unknown? We are in Konoha, the smallest town on the face of the planet with the lowest crime rate ever. What could seriously happen to me as I cross the street?"

His reaction was strange. She had said it jokingly, but for the slightest moment, he tensed. For a moment, his expression was somber and a spark of something lit up his face. It was quickly gone before she could even think about deciphering it and was replaced by a guarded expression that put her on edge. All of this happened in a matter of seconds and the guarded expression was gone and he had a playful expression on to compliment hers.

"Even so, I'm going to walk you home because it is how I was raised. My Ma would kill me if she was to ever find out that I let you walk home alone."

Sakura took longer strides until she fell into step with him, walking closely to him without really meaning to. The atmosphere between them was playful and light, so much so that her discomfort had all but dissolved into thin air and she wasn't really bothered anymore by the fact that he was still shirtless and very sexy.

She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and tucked some hair behind her ear. "So, are you a Mama's boy or something?" she teased as they approached the curb.

He laughed once. "God, and here I was hoping to hide it. Damn," he said sarcastically. He looked down at her and gave her that sexy grin. "But now that you know, you have promise to keep it a secret. If it gets out, it could ruin my reputation," he joked.

Sakura laughed freely, enjoying herself for the first time that night. "Oh, well, in order to save your precious reputation I will promise to keep it a secret, for now at least."

They were in the middle of the street now, and he looked at her in false alarm, his dark eyes remarkably light in the good-humored environment. "And what is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

She gave him her best smile, a smile with the perfect amount of teeth and slowed off her dimpled cheeks. He didn't melt like others have been known to do, but he did seem to falter for a moment and stepped closer to her so that they brushed against each other as they walked. "Well, you never know when I may need some blackmail," she said mischievously.

His eyes narrowed but the playful glint in his eyes remained. His lips parted in fake disbelief. "Well, look at you, showing your true colors. You're an evil little thing."

Sakura huffed as they stepped over the curb. "Little? Why I never!" she said in false insulted manner.

"Yes little, I'm a giant compared to you. I could probably bench-press you." They were already in the middle of her front yard and it was no time at all before they reached her front door.

She couldn't help how her gaze landed on his muscled arms. He was small and skinny, but incredibly fit. His abdomen had a six pack, or maybe an eight pack, and he had a perfect V-cut. He obviously worked out. She chewed on her lips for a moment before giving a small smile. "I have no doubt you could bench-press me," she said before pulling her bag off her shoulder and digging out her keys. Sasuke leaned against the wall while she inserted the key and struggled to open it.

A large warm hand covered hers after a moment more of struggling and gently moved it out of the way. With what looked like no effort at all, he twisted and the door opened. Sakura flushed. "Well, obviously, if you can bench-press me you could open a door that likes to stick. I'm not impressed by your door-opening skills," she rambled.

Sasuke laughed. "And what would a guy like me have to do to impress a girl like you, huh?"

Sakura flashed a small smile and stepped closer to the door. She stuck her hand in and flicked on the light, glancing around quickly before turning to lean in the doorway. "Well, it's not like I can tell you. It's cheating that way. You will just have to figure it out yourself, neighbor." She flashed him her winning smile. "Thanks for walking me home."

Her grinned sexily and scratched behind his ear. "Anytime, darlin'. What are neighbors are for, right?"

He lingered on the porch for a moment, even leaned forward a little before seeming to rethink it. His eyes stayed locked with hers the entire time, drowning her. He blinked slowly and his top row of teeth came out to abuse his bottom lip while that grin stayed plastered on his face. He silently laughed once and looked down at the baby monitor in his hand even though it hadn't made a sound before he looked back at her. This time there was a different expression on his face, one that strained and almost reluctant while still light.

"I'll see you later, darlin'," he muttered and then backed away and Sakura couldn't help the wave of disappointment that washed through her. It was irrationally, she knew. What had she seriously expected to happen? Did she honestly expect for him to make a move on her? It was dumb of her to feel disappointed when she didn't even know him she had just met him.

Still, she couldn't help how she felt.

She nodded and offered a small smile. "Yeah, see you later," she muttered as he stepped off the last step of her porch.

He looked over his shoulder as he made his way over her lawn, a particular walk she hadn't really noticed before. He walked with the slightest limp, like his left leg was weaker than the right or something. It wasn't too noticeable and if someone did notice something, most would probably think it was just part of some strut he was doing. But she looked at him with the trained eyes of a doctor and she knew it was a limp.

He lifted his right arm slightly. "Thanks for looking at the arm, Doc." He turned away without waiting for her answer and crossed the street. He was already far enough way that she wouldn't be able to answer him without yelling and it was late so she just nodded and pretended he saw the gesture. She waited until he had reached his own front porch before she stepped away from the door and closed it.

She leaned against it and shook her head. She had told herself she was going to stay away from men for awhile. She had told herself that she was going to focus on adjusting to the new town and work before she even thought about men. She had made these promises, afraid of having a repeat of last time, and now look at her. Flirting and making goo-goo eyes with the neighbor after only meeting him maybe an hour before.

But somehow she just couldn't help it. There was something about him that relaxed her (that is when he was checking out her ass or walking around half naked) The playful banter and the flirting just came naturally, so naturally she hadn't even known she was doing it until afterward. She was in trouble for sure.

X X

Sasuke wandered into Aiden's room and hovered over the crib for a moment. His mother had kept him up for awhile, so he was tuckered out. Aiden was sleeping peacefully, something he was incredibly thankful for because he suddenly no energy left after such a long day. A funeral in the morning, church, staking out the target, getting shot, the party at the club, and then meeting Sakura; it was a lot for one day.

Sasuke reached down and gently put his hand on his son's stomach. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of his little breathes. It calmed him and warmed his heart. Parenthood was scary and most days he was on the verge of a full panic attack, especially with his line of work. But at the same time, every moment was worth it when he got to see his son happy and content for even a second.

The raven pulled away then and made his way across the hall to his bedroom. He had a decent bedroom. The closet was far from a walk-in but it large enough to warrant two doors. His bed was a king size and unmade from running around this morning to prepare for the funeral. He had two nightstands on both sides of the bed and two dressers. One was long with a mirror on top while the other was taller. There wasn't a lot of space to move around in on the right side of the room, but it was comfortable.

Sasuke stripped himself of the jeans he had borrowed from the clubhouse and left them on the floor. He threw himself on top the plush surface of his bed, one of the odder things he had missed while he was away. He then stretched and put the baby monitor on the nightstand beside the bed. Dimly he knew he should remove the cell phones from the pocket of the too big jeans he had borrowed because his family liked to call in the middle of the night but he was too tired at the moment to move.

Instead he focused his thoughts on Sakura. She was truly beautiful and exceedingly charming. She was obviously smart, being a doctor and all, but she was also quick and able to keep up with him when he was in his playful moods. And when she flashed those smiles, oh, they actually left him winded. When had a girl ever taken his breath away? Usually it was him who went around flustering others. He wasn't sure if he was okay with this.

He had almost kissed her. He had leaned forward and he almost went it for the kill. It would have been almost too easy to do so and many even stretch his limits after that and see where it got him. With most girls, he could get them in a matter of a few quick grins and a kiss. With Sakura, he wasn't sure how far she would have actually let him go because she didn't strike him as a crow eater. Still, he was very close to testing the water.

But he had promised to take it easy with women. He had Aiden to think about. He couldn't be running off with a bunch of women and just having sex. He needed to try and find a girl that would be good for him, as well as his family. Who knows, Sakura may be stable enough for the job. She definitely caught his attention, even before he met her. She could be just the kind of girl to keep his attention and have his affections. Or she could be just another potential lay. He didn't know her; she could be crazy for all he knew. Half the damn crow eaters are.

Sasuke yawned and closed his eyes. Screw it. He was just going to go to sleep and forget about it. He was exhausted and all the thinking wasn't helping.

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><p><strong>I have to finish packing. Thought i would update before i left. Review please.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**It's a litte late. i've been trying to update every weekend but i went on vaction and got back on Saturaday. I've even unpacked yet and it's Tuesday so finding time to update was hard.**

**By the way, Expansion is not dead. I've been trying to update it but i'm an odd creature where some stories refuse to leave me alone until they are written. This story has been occupying a lot of my attention right now but Expansion is not dead. When i find my Expansion muse, i will write. Until then, you just have to be patient.**

**Song featured is actually the full theme song of Sons of Anarchy. It fits the show fantastically and fits the story as well. Look it up, it's called **This Life** by Curtis Stiger and the Forest Rangers. Check out the other song **John the Revelator** while you're at it because i deeply enjoy both.**

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><p>Chapter Four<p>

This Life

Sakura had finally found her beloved coffee marker among the boxes and the next morning she eagerly whipped up a pot while she got ready for work. She showered, blow dried her hair, and then dressed in a pair of jeans, a loose tank top and a long sweater. Her switched out her white bag for her long green over the shoulder bag and pulled on a pair of flats. She wore no make-up and then stopped in her kitchen to fill a travel mug with coffee and grab her other change of clothes before she exited the house.

As she locked up she glanced over her shoulder to see a black SUV pull up in front of Sasuke's house. Sakura went down the three steps of her porch and watched as a beautiful blonde woman with four pigtails in her hair climb out of the car. She wore a pair of tight jeans, and a mid-drift bearing tank top. She was taller than Sakura and fit, the kind of girl that Sakura couldn't compete with.

The woman went to the front door and reached up to grab something hidden above the door, probably a key. After a moment, she opened the door and let herself in, disappearing into the house to do whatever. Sakura climbed into her car and actually got the car to start on the first time.

She drove down Main Street and saw that she had left earlier than she had thought and stopped at the café to get a bagel or something before she went to work. She parked in front and went to the counter when she entered instead of going to a table like she usually did. She spotted Kimi right away and the waitress looked at her with wide eyes.

"Where did you disappear to last night?" she asked and Sakura resisted the urge to snort. Wasn't it Kimi who disappeared first?

Sakura shrugged. "It was late and I had run into some trouble with one of the guys so I just caught a ride with Sasuke, my neighbor," the pinkette explained.

Kimi first looked at her in worry when she mentioned that she had run into some trouble but her attention quickly shifted when she heard Sasuke's name. "Sasuke! You went home with Sasuke? Did you sleep with him?"

Sakura blushed furiciously. "What? No, he gave me a ride home and I looked at his arm because he had hurt it. Nothing else. Geez, you were sure to jump to that. I'm not that kind of girl," Sakura said, trying to control her blush. She looked around to see a few people looking at them.

Kimi gave an apologetic look. "Sorry, but Sasuke is a very charming guy and he can have his way with any girl he wants if he set his mind to it. And you're gorgeous so it wouldn't surprise me if he found you interesting enough to try something."

Sakura chewed on her lips for a moment. She didn't really like the sound of that and she couldn't resist the urge to ask about him. "Do you know Sasuke well? What kind of guy is he?"

Kimi leaned on the counter and shrugged. "I don't know him personally to well but everyone in town knows about everyone. Sasuke is the middle child of three boys. His biological mother died when he was young so his Ma is actually is stepmom. His dad ran off after a tragic death and his Ma remarried his old man. His older brother is biological while his younger brother is actually his stepbrother.

"We were in the same class so we did most of our schooling together. In the third grade they gave him an IQ test and found out he was a freaking genius."

Sakura perked up a little. If he was a genius then he must have graduated at the top of his class and taken AP and Honors classes. It was the kind of guy she was used to, the kind of guy she had always been attracted to. "So he graduated with good grades?"

Kimi snorted. "Hardly. He definitely had the potential but he never applied himself. It drove all the teachers crazy because he was the smartest student in the class, maybe even smarter than them even, but he just barely passed his classes. He goofed around in class, slept, or just didn't show up most days. In fact, I don't think he even finished school. He spent most of his days at the garage. He started working there when he was fifteen and he's been there since, that is except when he moved to Suna for two years. Of course his job is waiting for him now that he's back. He's just going to pick up right where he left off; fixing cars, protecting the town, and getting woman."

Sakura chewed on her lip. "So he's a ladies' man?"

Kimi shrugged. "That's a loose term for him. I would say he just gets bored easily and looks for entertainment in any way he knows how."

The pinkette didn't quite know what that was supposed to mean. Does that mean he played with women because he was bored? He hadn't seemed like a bad guy. In fact, he was one of the first men she ever really felt comfortable with even though she had just met him. Usually, it took her awhile to warm up to people, especially men after her last boyfriend. But Sasuke was being described as a bad guy. It didn't sit well with her.

Sakura ordered her bagel and said her goodbyes to the waitress. She climbed back into her car, suddenly not so hungry anymore and wasn't making good time anymore and had to rush to work. She greeted her coworkers in rush and then quickly went to the locker room to change into her scrubs.

It just didn't seem right. Sure, he was quick to flirt with her when he walked her home, but he didn't strike her as a player when she first met him. He had rescued her from the drunken idiot and had kindly offered her a ride home. He hadn't tried anything in the car (besides check her out when he thought she wasn't looking but that was harmless) and hadn't really talked with her much during the drive. He had even seemed hesitant to let her in to look at his arm. A player would have taken great lengths to get a girl in the house and she had to practically invite herself in. That had to count for something, right?

He hadn't tried anything on her while they were inside his house. He hadn't showed her to his bedroom, the living room, or even offer her a drink. He was half-naked, in his own territory, and he hadn't done a thing. He had leaned forward for a kiss and then turned away. What kind of playboy did that? He seemed like a nice guy, a loving father and not a playboy. It didn't make sense to her.

X

Sasuke woke up to lips pressed against his. He moaned, surprised and half asleep so he couldn't make much sense of it. All he knew was that a very cute blonde was kissing him and in his sleep induced mind it was heaven. So he kissed back. His hands roamed over smooth, fit skin as lips meshed and tongues danced. It felt _so_ good and he felt as if his blood was going to start to boil if those hands of hers kept getting closer and closer to his _oh so_ sensitive area.

And then his mind finally registered Aiden's cries washing through the baby monitor at his side and the muffled sound of it through the walls. He jolted awake and sat up, pushing Temari off of him. She let out a squeak and landed ungracefully on the edge of the bed, almost falling off. But Sasuke didn't even look at her as he bolted for the Aiden.

He scooped up the crying child from his crib, intent on trying to sooth him. He bounced him gently in his arms and whispered sweet and comforting words quietly until the he calmed down. It hadn't taken long, the boy had always been mush in his arms and hardy ever put up a fight when he fought everyone else. Aiden definitely knew who his father was and he always responded to him.

He turned and spotted Temari standing in the doorway, watching him and his son. He took a deep breath, suddenly angry about how he had been woken up. He had promised to take it easy with girls and here Temari was, kissing him when he was half asleep and making everything so much more difficult for him. And then she was looking at his son like he was her son as well. It just wasn't going to happen.

He started for the door and she moved to make room for him. He didn't look at her as he passed and headed down the hallway towards the kitchen. He set Aiden down in the baby chair, who whined at the loss of his father but Sasuke ignored him in favor of getting the formula out so he could make him a bottle. Temari entered the kitchen and the raven continued to ignore her. That was until she bent over in front of Aiden and tried to pick him up.

He turned on his heels and glared at her. "Don't touch him. Don't even think about it." His tone was dangerous and she turned to look at him in alarm.

He pointed towards the living room. "Out," he commanded and, like he knew should would, she left the room without a fight. He turned back to the cabinet and grabbed the formula off the shelf and put it on the counter. He gripped the countertop with both hands and looked down and took a few calming breaths. In the back of his head he knew that she really hadn't done anything to deserve his anger. Really all she had done was the same things he had let her do when they were in Suna, before his mother pointed out that he needed to slow down. Before, he had no scruples in waking up to Temari kissing him and then letting him fuck her brains out. Really, it was a good way to start the day. But it wasn't the responsible thing to do and he needed to be responsible now.

He sighed and leaned his forehead against the cool counter before looking quickly at Aiden and then moved out to the living room. He found the blonde woman sitting on his couch, her legs crossed sexily. For a brief moment, Sasuke reconsidered what he was about to do and instead throw her over his shoulder and take her to the bedroom. But he quickly abandoned the idea in favor of setting things straight.

He leaned against the pillared wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He made sure that his face was carefully blank as she looked up at him with her innocent and questioning eyes. He mentally sighed, knowing this was going to suck.

He was the one to speak first. "This isn't going to happen again," he said firmly.

She looked at him with an almost sickeningly confused expression. "What isn't going to happen?" Everything about her oozed confusion and it made Sasuke suddenly feel like crap. She had actually deluded herself into thinking they were an item and hadn't thought twice about the fact that they would have a future together. It made it worse for Sasuke, knowing that she truly believed that she had made it into his world, an honor by all accounts, and he was going to have to crush her dreams.

She had thought he was going to be the future old lady of the original charter, the future queen bee. It was an extreme honor to be the old lady of the president of a charter, and an even bigger honor to be the old lady of the president of the original charter. The original charter was the main charter and the charter that set the tone and path of all of the other charters. To be in this charter means you demanded respect and to be high up in the charter meant to were untouchable. Old ladies were not members of the club, but they demanded a certain amount of respect from everyone else, from member and non-members alike. Sasuke was the future leader of this charter, the future leader of the MC. As VP, he was already incredibly powerful and demanded a lot of respect from everyone. When he found himself an old lady, she would automatically get extreme respect from people because of his position. And Temari had thought she had achieved that title.

Sasuke shook his head. "This thing that we had isn't going to happen again. I appreciate what you did to help me out with Aiden, but I'm home now and my family will help me with anything I can't do myself when it comes to my son."

Temari was silent for a moment before she uncrossed her legs and then stood up slowly. She stepped forward until she was in front of him, but she kept her distance so that she was at least three feet way. "What are you talking about?"

Sasuke looked down for a moment, hating how this was dragging out. "Look, I don't want to drag this out. I have deep respect for you and I'm very close to your brothers. I don't want to hurt anyone and have this affect my relationship with Gaara and Kankuro. That's why I'm putting an end to this now, before we get too attached and end up hurt," he said, throwing in the "we" part more for her benefit than his.

However, that seemed like the wrong thing to say then. A look of utter disbelief crossed her face and she took a few stepped closer so that her chest was a mere foot away from his. "Before I get too attached, really? Who was there to watch over Aiden in the incubator when you went after that drug dealer? Who went to the hospital every day to watch over him and show him love when you were in church with the boys or on a run, or whatever other shit you do for the club? Who was the one to convince you to finally go in and meet your son when you were too fucking scared of getting attached and then losing him when they weren't sure he would survive? I have been there from day one for Aiden and for you. You know the power of your son; everyone that comes into his life becomes attached to him. And what about you, who I've watched mature as you took on fatherhood. I've seen the real you, I've seen you at your weakest and I grew to love you."

Sasuke couldn't help but snort. "My weakest? No, you haven't seen me at my weakest. You haven't seen the real me. You were never close to the real me. You don't love me, you don't even know me. You just want to be my old lady, get respect from everyone. Everyone here isn't sure what to make of you so they have been treating you with more respect than a sister of a president deserves and you have loved every moment of it. You don't love me; you love the Vice President of the maiden charter."

Sasuke had removed his arms from his chest and that stood up to his full height, getting confrontational when she had started in on her rant. Temari must have sensed that she wasn't going to win the argument this way and changed her tactic. She shook her head, the fight dying from her eyes and instead was replaced with pleading desperation. "No, I love you, the person in the cut. I love you," she said, and grabbed him. She placed on hand on his neck, her thumb on his cheek and trying to pull his head down towards her. Her other hand came to rest on his chest.

Sasuke shook his head and looked way from her in exasperation. Her words said it all. She was in love with the man _in_ the cut, not _behind_ the cut. They were two different people for him. When he wore his cut, he was untouchable among the ranks and always on the top of his game because he couldn't afford mistakes. He did what needed to be done for the good of the community, the club and his family even if he called for him to do something that went against morals or the law. When he comes home, he doesn't have to be that man anymore. He can relax with his family over beers, hang out with his brothers and play video games or basketball or whatever sport, and have family dinners. He can cradle his son in his arms and just soak in the warmth that the small child offers, or walk his beautiful neighbor home after a long night. He could be normal; he could drop his guard and relax for once.

He looked at her evenly and then reached up to cradle her head in his hands. He stooped down a bit and pressed a gentle kiss on hers lips. It was quick, a simple goodbye kiss, and then he retreated and pulled away from her grasp. He took both of her hands off oh his body and guided them back towards her before looking at her calmly. "This is over. It's done," he said gently before retreating from her.

He went back into the kitchen, intent on finally getting Aiden his bottle. He quickly got to work with the bottle, hearing Aiden fuss and cry out. He usually ate around this time in the morning so he knew Aiden was hungry, especially hearing the hungry cry.

Temari entered the kitchen after a moment and stared at him, seeming to be in shock. Sasuke glanced at her quickly before going back to ignoring her as she wasn't doing anything besides standing in the doorway and staring at him. After a moment, however, she shook her head with a mildly confused but mainly shocked expression on her face. "I don't understand. I thought we were doing well, I thought we were going to be a family. How did this happen?"

Sasuke didn't look at her as she spoke. "There was never anything between us. We had sex and a friendship based on the fact that I'm part of the MC with your brothers. You helped me out with Aiden, but now I'm home so you can go back to Suna with your charter and I can stay with my family."

She took a deep, shakily breath. "You can't keep me away from Aiden. I've been his constant since day one, he needs me."

Sasuke looked at her evenly. "I can do whatever I want. He's my son and I decide who gets to be in his life and who doesn't until he's old enough to make his own decisions. He doesn't need you. He needs his father, I'm his constant. And someday, I'm going to find my old lady and she's going to be his constant too, as well as his grandma, grandpa, his uncles and his aunts. He doesn't need you; he won't even remember you when you leave for Suna."

She stared at him with a hurt expression on her face while he went back to ignoring her. He finally fixed the bottle and then glanced at the time, cursing a little under his breath. He went over to his son and picked him up from the carrier chair and cradled him in his left arm. His right still stung when he moved it too much but he was able to feed Aiden without problems. He moved over to the counter and mentally cursed the fact that he wouldn't be able to eat breakfast.

He sighed and looked at the frozen Temari. He didn't want to be rube, but he really wanted and needed her gone. "I have church in a half hour and I need to get me and Aiden ready. It would be easier if you didn't hang around," he said, mentally feeling like he was the biggest ass in the world. But he shrugged it off, knowing that he was only feeling bad because it was Gaara's sister that he was hurting. But it had to be done.

She lowered her head and crossed her arms to hug herself. "Are you sure? I could help you with Aiden."

Sasuke shook his head. "I got it."

She looked out the window and stared at his bike in the driveway. "I'm assuming you're going to take your bike. I can take Aiden and we can both drive to the clubhouse."

Sasuke shook his head again. "Mom is coming by in fifteen minutes and she's taking him. We made plans today after church and we're both taking Aiden. You really don't need to stick around. I got everything handled."

She stood dumbly for a moment before nodding. She turned slowly, almost mechanically, and went to the living room. Sasuke followed her after a moment, standing in the doorway of the kitchen and watched as she pulled on her boots. They were heels, at least six inches, and about ankle length with zippers on the side. She was working the stiff zipper before standing up and grabbing her bag. She waltzed past him towards the door but stopped just short of opening it and turned to face him.

"I really thought that we could have been great. I thought we had something." She was looking at him evenly and looked calm enough but Sasuke could see the storm of turmoil underneath the surface.

Sasuke looked down at his son who was greedily sucking the nipple of the bottle. Dark eyes looked up into his equally dark ones, an expression of innocence on his face that only a child could achieve. He smiled bitterly at his son before looking up to face the blonde. "That's the thing about me, I'm restless. I'm always searching for the deeper meaning behind every truth and for something more in my life. I won't be satisfied until I find the something that I'm missing, and sometimes I'm going to strike out like I did with you. There may be bloodshed along the way but I'm going to continue searching because eventually I'm going to find it."

Temari gave a smile that seemed to lack any emotion. She gripped the doorknob behind her and opened it with a jerk. "Well, who would have thought that the Sasuke Uchiha, royalty among the MC, would be a romantic? Evidently a dark romantic, but a romantic nonetheless."

Sasuke continued to give her the same bitter grin, but it seemed to darken as he spoke. "Yeah, well, it just goes to show that you really didn't know me."

Temari's face went blank and she blinked once before she just left, closing the door softly behind her. Sasuke waited and listened as she slammed her car door and then a few moments later drive way. The raven haired male sighed, knowing the rest of the week was going to be awkward for him and her brothers and was glad that they were leaving soon so everything could go back to normal. He looked down at his son, finally trying to relax his tense muscles. He moved slowly back into the kitchen, where he went to stand by the window and look out. The street was mostly empty, his beautiful neighbor across the street didn't seem to be home because her ugly Beetle wasn't in the driveway.

Sasuke sighed and then tilted the bottle ever so slightly so Aiden could get more of the milk inside. He stared at the wall for a moment, a tune dancing in his head. It was a tune he had heard from somewhere early on in life, something that had always stuck with him without his knowing why or where it really even came from.

He sang it softly to his son while he fed him.

"Ridin' in this world, all alone," he began softly, not deluding himself into thinking he was Mozart or anything but competent enough to string the words along with the melody.

In a sick way, the song had become an anthem to him. It was the anthem of his life, the dangerous life he led in the Akatsuki.

X

Sakura really needed a caffeine rush. It was mid-day and all she had in her stomach was a half eaten bagel and her morning coffee. She was starting to feel the drag after running around all day so far. She needed a jolt, something to wake her up after a day that seemed to be dragging on and on.

She sighed as the elevator door opened and she quickly made her way over to the nurses' station. She had changed out of her scrubs and into the other set of clothes she had brought because she had already finished the last surgery she was scheduled for. Instead she changed into a white blouse that had the first few buttons undone so that she was showing cleavage, but was covered enough to still look professional. The blouse was tucked into a sleek, high-waisted pencil skirt, a nice red belt along the top of the skirt that emphasized her smallest part of her body and make her look more curvy. To complete the look she wore simple black six inch heels and her lab coat and her silky pink hair down in its natural pin straight fashion. Though she never noticed, she was turning heads by a lot of people, coworkers, patients and visitors alike.

She smiled at the nurse behind the desk and crossed her arms over the high desk. "Hello, Miku," Sakura said pleasantly, making it a habit to know all of her co-workers names. "Are my next patients here?"

The light haired nurse smiled kindly back to Sakura and nodded. She turned in the spiral chair to grab two binders from the shelf behind her. She spun around and handed them over. "You're first one is already in examination room three while the second should be here in half an hour."

Sakura nodded and opened the first binder, glancing over it quickly. It was a regular checkup it would seem, but they didn't have any history on the patient so they would have to do a full work up just so they can be sure everything is good. She closed the binder and then flashed a quick smile at the nurse and thanked her before she turned and headed for exam room three.

She knocked on the door and opened it, but was distracted for a moment when one of her coworkers asked her about the charts for a surgery. Sakura looked down the hall to where her coworker stood, still moving as they walked down the hall. "Yeah, I finished them at the end of my last shift. It should be at the nurses' station. Just ask Miku, she handles all of the charts for the floor," she called, standing halfway through the door.

"Thanks Sakura, you're a sweetheart!" yelled her coworker, a man who had been making eyes at her since the day she showed up.

"Yeah," Sakura called in a casual manner, shaking off his semi-flirtatious manners. She fully stepped into the room and looked down at the charts for a moment.

"Well, it's true darlin', you are a sweetheart," said a familiar, smooth voice and Sakura quickly looked up to see the occupants of the room.

The room was a standard exam room, with an examination table, cabinet filled with an assortment of medical supplies, a counter with a sink and more supplies, a movable small table on it with a standard examination tray on it, and some chairs off to the side. Sasuke stood in front of the examination table (Looking incredibly sexy in a similar outfit that he had on last night. He wore a pair of loose jeans and he must be wearing a belt now because she could see a chain coming from somewhere and leading to his back pocket and what looked like a sheathed knife in a holster of sorts at his waist. He wore a slightly baggy long sleeved white shirt with a short sleeved dark blue shirt over it. Over that was his leather vest. He wore rings on his fingers, his hair was unkempt and he wore a pair of white sneakers on his feet. All in all, he looked like an incredibly sexy nike bikie) with the empty carrier sitting on it and Aiden in his arms. He was giving her that same sexy grin while Aiden was clutching the necklace he wore again, cooing softly. Next to him was the same older busty blonde woman she had seen at his house a number of times before. She was looking at the older male in the room, obviously confused about why he would blurt out a comment like that to his son's doctor.

Sakura flushed slightly and brushed some hair behind her ear before giving him her winning smile and closed the door behind her. "Well that's funny, last time I checked I was an evil little thing,_ darlin_'," she mocked, causing more confusion for the blonde and for Sasuke to grin wider.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her and then dragged his eyes down the length of her body. "See, that's the funny thing about you, you keep me guessing. I can't tell if you really are a sweetheart or if you are the evil incarnate. You're a mystery to me," he teased.

Sakura laughed, feeling suddenly more awake and like today was a much better day than she had originally thought. In Sasuke's presence, she felt lighter, never mind that he may be a player. The moment she stepped into his presence and her eyes landed on that haunting grin, she felt like a wave of energy and her stomach lit up in a fit of butterflies like never before.

She stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Aiden's stomach, coming to stand close to Sauske's side. He didn't seem to mind that she invaded his personal space and instead lightly brushed his hip against her stomach, seeing as he was taller than her. She made no effort to acknowledge the contact, but she didn't move away like she would have if it was any other guy who had done it. She kept her attention on Aiden.

"Hello, big boy. How are you today?" she asked.

Sasuke snorted once. "I'm just fine, thank you," he muttered and Sakura looked up at him to see his teasing face.

She rolled her eyes and hip bump his thigh gently. "I wasn't talking to you, you giant, I was talking to Aiden. I guess I don't have to ask you now though," she said with a laugh.

Sasuke gazed down at her with that smirk on his face. "Well, it was an honest mistake. I'm a big boy too, you know."

Sakura quirked her eyebrow suggestively. "Yeah, I'm sure you are," she said lightly.

"Ahem."

Sakura jumped and moved away slightly so she could turn and look at the blonde woman. She flushed, having completely forgotten that the woman was there. It suddenly occurred to her that she didn't know who this woman was or what her relationship was with Sasuke. She had just come in and started flirting without really realizing what she was doing, which was unprofessional and completely rude. For all Sakura knew, this woman was the mother of the child (maybe he was into older woman) and she was just flirting with him in front of her.

"Well, you too obviously know each other, but I would love an introduction," the woman said.

Sakura moved away even more and gave a smile to the woman that was slightly apologetic. She brushed her hair behind her ear again and reached out to shake her hand. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I'm Dr. Sakura Haruno. I specialize in neonatal and pediatric care and I will be taking on Aiden's case."

The blonde woman took her hand in a surprisingly firm handshake. "I'm Tsunade Namikaze, Sasuke's mother."

Sakura couldn't hide her surprise. Yes, she could tell that Tsunade was older than them both, but she had no clue that this was his mother. She didn't look old enough, to be honest, and she was a lot fitter than she had assumed a mother of three boys would be. Then again, Kimi had said that she wasn't the biological mother of at least two of her boys, so who knows. She hadn't expected to meet his mother at the appointment for his son. If anything, she had expected to meet the mother of Aiden. Sakura suddenly wondered if he really was a momma's boy.

"Oh, it's very nice to meet you," Sakura said with a smile, still feeling like she had been rude. However, before she had thought she had stepped on someone's toes by flirting in front of her. Now she was just extremely embarrassed to have been flirting with him in front of his mother. What a perfect first impression.

"How do you two know each other? Did you meet that the bars or something?" Tsunade asked, her tone casual enough but even Sakura could hear a slight edge to it.

Sasuke looked at his mother, his dark eyes almost challenging her. "No, Mom, Sakura is actually my new neighbor. She moved into the house across the street."

Tsunade looked at Sasuke. "The one where the old man used to live?"

Sakura nodded pleasantly. "Yeah, it was my grandfather's old house. He left the house to me in his will."

Tsunade nodded and Sakura used the awkward pause to quickly got to business. Since they had no record of Aiden in the hospital she took his history from Sasuke. He told her that Aiden was born ten weeks early because his crank junkie mother overdosed. He has a heart condition, probably genetic he said because he, his biological mother, and a brother all had the same condition and required surgery at one point (which explained his surgical scar in the middle of his chest). Additionally, he was born with a tear in his stomach which had required surgery too and he had also died soon after he was born. He told her of any medication they had given him and everything else.

Sakura documented everything and then insisted that they do a full work up so that they have everything on file. Sasuke and Tsunade both agreed and Sakura quickly got to work on all of the tests and examinations that needed to be done. She worked professionally and she didn't let Sasuke distract her again, using the time between tests to visit other patients.

It took a while for all the tests to be done, but then she was able to send them away and arrange another appointment so that they didn't have to stay at the hospital all day for the results to come in. Sakura took the time to say goodbye to them before they left though, allowing herself to get distracted again. She did remember Tsunade was there this time and reframed from flirting too much, because there was something about Sasuke that made her lose control and she couldn't let him walk out without flirting just a little. It was very tasteful though and she waved with her winning smile as they walked towards the elevator and she remained at the nurses' station.

Sakura watched as Sasuke and his mother walked away. She was mesmerized by Sasuke's swagger, a walk in which hide his limp and made him look like a badass at the same time, when he suddenly stopped. He was saying something to his mother before she put down the empty carrier on the ground and he handed Aiden over to her. He flashed a quick smile to her and then turned and jogged back over to Sakura. She faced him fully. "Did you forget something?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You look beautiful. I'll see you around the neighborhood, darlin'," he said before flashing that grin and then jogging back over to his mother. She was looking at him with an undisguised expression of suspicion with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged innocently and pulled Aiden back into his arms before they left, leaving a very confused pinkette in their wake.

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><p><strong>review please, even if this was a suckier chapter. Hang in there though, next chapter is much better and if i get a good response to this chapter i may post the next on early. It's already written so i just may be presuaded to post it early if i feel motivated enough.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Whoa, i got a better response from the last chapter than i ever thought. Twenty reviews for one chapter and it hasn't been twenty four hours. Only four chpaters up and i already have fifty reviews. I'm just so shocked and awed and i really just don't know what to say. Thank you all so much! This means the world to me. As a reward, you get this chapter early. Instead of posting it this weekend like i had planned, posted today for my loyal readers as a special treat.**

**So, be warned. This was supposed to be posted later so it was edited very quickly.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Midnight Brawl

The next month passed quickly for the pinkette in a sort of a whirlwind. The days past quickly and before she knew it, it was already mid to late July. She had spent the month getting to know the people of the town and she was getting used to her new home. For the first time in months, she felt comfortable and safe. She went to work and the doctors and patients had already grown to love her. On her days off she either stayed home or hung around the business district, or even hang out with Sasuke, most of the time with Aiden.

The two adults had grown surprisingly close during the month. Sometimes they hung out at her house or his while other times they happened to meet up in town and ended up hanging around for an hour or more. He had even helped her clean out her grandfather's things and unpack her own stuff. He never failed to make her feel safe and no matter what they did, she was finding it hard to believe he was part of a gang. When they hung out at one of their houses he usually brought Aiden with him. However, when they meet up in town he had his bike and someone else had Aiden for the day. Never mind the almost constant flirting, they quickly became good friends. Sakura was feeling really hopeful for the future.

She had even met his younger brother Naruto when Sasuke agreed to help her move furniture and had enlisted Naruto to help. Naruto, a year younger than Sauske but a year older than her, was extremely attractive in a completely different way than Sasuke. The two were complete opposites, night and day. Sasuke was pale, dark haired and extremely lean. Naruto was tanned, blonde, and much bulkier than his brother because his body was more muscled. While Sasuke was mostly quiet and had a deceptive mischievous manner about him that left Sakura constantly guessing, Naruto was loud and brash like he wasn't capable of hiding anything and everything about him was just laid out for the world to see. If the two hadn't told her that they were stepbrothers than she would have just assumed they were best friends. He seemed to like her and after hanging out with the two of them, he seemed to have the idea that they were going to get together at some point or another. Both Sasuke and Sakura had brushed off the words, both having no intentions of trying a relationship anytime soon.

Sakura had fallen asleep on her couch one night and was awoke by the sound of her phone ringing loudly next to her. She groaned and looked at the clock to see it was nearly midnight and answered her cell thinking it was the hospital. She was surprised to find that it was Sasuke instead.

"I'm sorry for calling so late," was his first words spoken and Sakura had to ask if it was him in her sleep fogged mind.

"Yeah, it's me," he said. She could hear him shuffling around on the other end and she looked out her front window to see his house lit up. Aiden's room, which faced the street, was dark, but she could see the light was on in his kitchen as well as the living room through the window in his front door.

"What's up?" she asked, still looking out the window.

He heaved a sigh. "I had something come up and I need leave right away. Usually I would ask my Mom or maybe my sister-in-law but they are out of town for some bullshit trip or something and aren't coming back until morning and I need someone to watch Aiden for me." He sounded frustrated and strained and she could still hear him shuffling around.

Sakura nodded and stood up. She had fallen asleep in a tank top and a pair of shorts so she threw on a sweater and pulled her hair into a ponytail while she listened to him. He wasn't speaking to her anymore, just cursing under his breath at something. She interrupted him to answer him. "Yeah, I'll watch him. I'm just getting my stuff and locking up right now. I'll be over in a two minutes."

He let out a relieved sigh and thanked her before he hurriedly hung up. Sakura grabbed her bag, slipped on a pair of flip flops and exited the house. Normally, she would have changed into jeans or something more, but there had been something desperate in his tone that made her uneasy. He really sounded like he needed her there quickly so she sped over there in her pajamas. She knocked once when he opened the door and quickly invited her in.

"Thanks for coming over so late. You're really saving my ass," he said. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only in a pair of jeans. His light gray boxers were slightly sticking out, but he had a belt on so his jeans were staying up. Sakura dimly noticed that he had a sheathed knife hanging from his waist as well.

"No problem," she muttered while he walked away. She heard a ringing from the kitchen and she looked on the table to see two phones sitting there. One was an expensive looking phone, the one she had always seen him using, while the other was an inexpensive prepay. When she got closer she say that it was the prepay that was ringing. She picked it up but did not answer it and instead rushed into the bedroom. She had only been in there a few times, but she couldn't help but blush when entered the door and saw him pulling on a white t-shirt. She quickly handed him the phone.

He flipped it open to answer and tried to continue getting dressed. He had one arm in the shirt, his head in but one arm free while he struggled to talk and dress. "Yeah, I know. . . I had to get someone to watch Aiden . . . He's taken care of . . . I'm getting ready . . . no . . . Fuck," he cursed when he almost dropped the phone but quickly caught it. Sakura reached up and helped him pull his arm though the armhole of the shirt. He continued to talk once he secured the phone. "No, I'm fine . . . I'm hurrying . . . Fuck you, you're the one who woke me up to come get your dumb ass out of a bind . . . Ass . . . Shit, I'm coming . . ."

He had stopped struggling and allowed Sakura to tug the shirt and dress him. He looked around once the shirt was on and grabbed a black hoodie with the word 'Akatsuki' in white. Sakura took it out of his hands and manipulated the article so she could dress him. He didn't object because it allowed him to focus on the phone call.

"No, stay where you are and watch Shikamaru's back and make sure Kiba doesn't do anything stupid . . . I'll be right there . . . Naruto, I'm serious. Mom will kill me if anything happens to you . . . Stay there, I'm coming . . . Be careful and use your brain until I get there," he said before he hung up and she tugged the article into place.

He paused, looking at her seriously for a moment before chewing on his lip. He stepped over to the other side of the bed and opened a drawer of the nightstand and then faltered with her standing there. He froze in a moment of indecision before he took a deep breath and lifted something out of the drawer. Sakura couldn't make out what it was at first until he started to put it on. She realized with a start that it was a concealable shoulder gun holster. Dimly she saw that there were two guns already strapped in. He was looking at her seriously as he slipped his arms into it, a look of something akin to nervousness and like he was waiting for something. Probably waiting for her to freak out.

Sakura took a deep breath and eyed the guns, suddenly feeling more on edge and surprising more worried about where he was going than the fact that she was alone in a room with a man with a knife and two loaded guns. This fact surprised her, that while he was armed, she didn't feel like she was in danger. In fact, she still felt like she was safe with him. She knew she should be freaked out, and honestly if it was any other person and she would have been scared, but she simply wasn't. There was just something about him that made it impossible to feel in danger with him around.

He still stood, now no longer moving since the guns were securely in place, waiting for her to react. Dimly, she remembered that he was supposed to be rushing off somewhere to see Naruto, and two other guys she didn't know. She took down at her hands that were locked together in an almost nervous fashion before she released them. His vest (his cut, actually, he had pointed out to her one day when she asked him why he was always wearing it. He had laughed at her for calling it a vest but never answered her question and instead teased her for not knowing the biker lingo) was folded on the bed. She slowly reached out and unfolded it before walking over to him with her eyes lowered to the floor. She stopped in front of him and took a deep breath before she looked up.

His face was blank, but she could see confusion hidden in his eyes. She gave an uneasy smile and tried to act like she wasn't scared to death for him suddenly. "Well, turn around, big boy, so I can help you get dressed. Apparently you can't dress yourself," she tried to joke but it came out very weak. Still, it relieved him to know that she could still joke with him when he started showing some of his true colors when he was the man in the cut. It gave him hope, because it was something he had been afraid of when he realized she had no clue about his lifestyle like everyone else in town did.

He turned around and she had to stand on her toes a little when she guided his arms through the holes. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders momentarily before she dragged her now free hands down his side, feeling the hard texture of the concealed weapons as she did, before they came to rest on his hips. She held him there for only a moment before her hands moved forward and she buried her face in his leather clad back and held him tightly around the waist. One of her hands moved up to his heart, needing to feel the steady rhythm and beat. She closed her eyes tightly when she felt two large hands cover hers and she just tried to pretend this wasn't such a messed up situation. She felt him take a deep breath and lean his head back until it gently rested of the top of hers.

"Please be safe," she muttered into the leather. His hands squeezed hers in response and she actually felt a little better by the small gesture of comfort.

The phone rang again but the two stayed frozen for a moment more before Sasuke let go of her hands and she took that as a sign to release him. He stepped out of her grip and she chewed on her lip while he grabbed the phone from off the bed. He flipped open the phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Yeah . . . I know, I was just about to leave . . . I had to get someone to watch Aiden . . . Yeah, he's taken care of . . . I just need shoes and I'm gone . . . Yeah, I'm coming right away . . . Yeah, I know Mom is going to kill us. But she's going to kill you first for letting your son get in the situation in the first place . . . yeah, I got it . . . Right, I'm on my way Dad," he said before he hung up and started for the door.

Sakura followed him to the front door where he bent forward to pull on his usual white sneakers. He looked up at her while he put on the first shoe. "Shit, I have a pair of gloves in the drawer in the nightstand. Can you get it for me?" Sakura nodded and rushed back to the bedroom.

She assumed it was the same drawer from before so she jumped on the bed and hung over the side to open the drawer. Black leather gloves were on top so she grabbed them, and froze when she saw a box of bullets underneath as well as several clips. She picked up a few of the clips, seeing they were fully loaded and then closed the drawer and rushed back to him. He was tying his final shoe when she made it back.

He stood up when he had finished the task and then checked his pockets. He checked that his wallet was in his pocket and connected to his belt before pulling out his keys. He then reached out for his gloves, which Sakura handed over and then he stared at her questioningly when he noticed the clips in her hands. She wrapped her hands around the clips nervously.

"I just want you to be prepared for anything, just in case," she muttered.

He gave a small smile, more for her comfort than because he found anything happy or funny. He gently reached out and stilled her fidgeting hands. "I probably won't need it, but if it will make you feel better than I will take them," he muttered before he slowly took them from her hands. She nodded and took a deep breath.

He stuffed the clips in his pockets and then started to pull on the gloves. "Aiden's sleeping and I don't think he will wake up. If he does, you know where the formula is if he's hungry, all the diapers and clothes are in the dresser and by the changing station. Everything you may need is around the house and but if you need to call someone for help with anything, I'm leaving my phone. You can call Tenten, Ino or Hinata; their numbers are under the old ladies group in my contacts. Tennie and Ino are both mothers so they pretty much know everything and Hinata is fairly close and she's good with kids though I'm not sure if she's in town or not."

Sakura waved her hand in the air dismissively. "Sasuke, I'm a doctor who specializes in children. I can handle this. You just get going and be safe."

He gave a quick halfhearted smirk and then quickly pulled her into a hug. Her face pressed into the soft material of his sweatshirt and she breathed in his scent. He smelled like a combination of smoke, soap, rain and something else that was just purely Sasuke. It was maddening how good he smelled. Sakura sighed in almost contentment. She had needed the hug, she needed the feeling of his tight arms around her that comforted her in a way that no hug had done before and made her feel surprisingly whole even when she hadn't know she was incomplete.

"The baby monitor is in the bedroom so if you get tired you can just crash there if you want. You don't have to wait up for me. Make yourself at home, okay?" he muttered while his hand reached up to stroke her hair and then fisted a handful of the silky strands, probably messing up her ponytail but she didn't care. She felt the slight tug of her hair, but it wasn't painful at all and only left her feeling like her senses were oddly heightened by the sensation.

"Yeah," she muttered into his chest before he released her and exited the house in a hurry. His helmet was barely on when he was already starting the noisy engine. Sakura stood in the doorway and watched him, seeing him look up at her once to give her a comforting look before he backed up and was quickly zooming down the street way too fast. Sakura stood there for a long moment before she stepped back and closed the door. Always feeling paranoid when she was alone, she locked the door firmly and then went into the kitchen to make sure the other doors were locked. Sasuke had three doors in his kitchen. One that led down to the basement, one that led out to the small backyard and one that led to the attached garage. She found that both doors that led out were firmly locked as well.

Her next goal was to check on Aiden. She exited the kitchen and moved down the hallway to creep into the nursery. It was a simple room and was small like the rest of the house. There was a closet on the wall to the right with two small doors painted white. There was a futon couch along the wall in front of the door that had a cover with a blue and green striped pattern on it. Next to the couch was a white rocking chair in the corner with blue comfy cushions on it. Along the left wall was a white crib with a motorcycle mobile hanging overhead. The last wall had the dresser and changing table against it with shelves above the dresser. The walls were painted blue with green decorations hanging on the walls.

Sakura went to Aiden's side and peered into the crib. He was sleeping peacefully, the blanket having been kicked off from his movements. He was perfectly still now so Sakura adjusted the blanket and gently put a hand on his stomach. She stood there for a long moment, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his torso.

After a long moment, she left the nursery in a hurry. She ran into the bedroom and grabbed the baby monitor before she rushed out of the house. She was gone barley five minutes, but when she returned she had several bags full of medical supplies. She dumped them on the couch in the living room so that she would be ready when Sasuke got home. She rushed back into the nursery to check on Aiden. He was still sleeping peacefully, hadn't even notice her absence. She stood and watched over him for an immeasurable amount of time. When her legs started to ache she moved over to sit in the rocking chair that was right next to the crib. She watched his sleeping face, lost in thought.

She was worried about Sasuke, about the trouble he could be getting into. At the same time, now that he was out of her presence, she couldn't help but notice how their relationship had changed. Before they were friends who didn't know much about one another but enjoyed each other's company. It was a peaceful thing, a fun thing that they had. But tonight, he had showed some of his true colors. He had showed something about his life, the dangerous life that he lived and had given her the choice. She could have freaked out and they would have gone their separate ways or she could have done what she did and accepted it. They could continue their relationship, but it had changed and they had already seen the affects of it.

Before, they flirted but it was very tame. There was some brushing past each other, playful nudges and other flirtatious actions but they usually kept their distance from one another. Tonight she had helped him dress and hugged him twice. Their relationship had changed from subtle flirting to a slightly more intimate connection. And for some reason, Sakura felt no fear or regret by this change. She had been afraid of relationships for awhile now but she found she wasn't afraid of Sasuke and this new thing they had. Everything with Sasuke felt natural and right and the only fear she felt was a fear for his wellbeing. She didn't even feel afraid because he was a father of a young child. She had only known him for a month and already she loved Aiden and he had gotten pretty used to her as well.

However, as a man, she felt safe with him. But as a gang member, that wasn't the same thing. Without him in her presence to scare away her doubts, they crept in without her control. What happened if he turned out to be a psycho? He had the strength, the weapons, and a whole gang of his little friends. If something went bad, she would be in major shit. Sakura shook her head. She wasn't sure if she could deal with another psycho, this time on the other side of the law. If something really did go wrong, she would be totally and completely screwed with nowhere to turn.

Sakura settled deeper into the cushioned chair and stared at Aiden. At some point she must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew she was being shaken awake. She took a deep breath in, looking around in confusion. She looked at Aiden first to be sure he was good before she looked to see who was shaking her. She was greeted with the sight of a tired looking Sasuke.

Sakura was instantly alert and jumped up quickly. If Sasuke was surprised by her actions, he didn't show it and instead just gestured for her to follow him out of the nursery. She did so silently and then closed the door behind her as he swaggered down the hall and into the kitchen. She followed him and examined him.

From the looks of it, he must not have used his gun a lot. He looked like he had been brawling instead of in a shoot out. He had a black eye forming on the right side. His cheek was bruised on the left and had a small gash that was dripping blood down. Above his right eye, his eyebrow was spilt open and was dripping blood as well. Additionally his lip was cracked on the right side and his knuckles were split open as well. He was wearing his bulky rings so she could only imagine the damage he did. A chill ran down her spine and the voice in the back of her head told her to be careful.

"Are you okay?" she asked, stepping closer to look at his face.

He nodded. "Yeah. It looks worse than it actually is. Only got a few hits at my face." He was waving his hand dismissively.

She moved over to the counter and grabbed a washcloth and wet it down. She moved over to him and hooked his arm with hers. He was startled by this, not even bothering to hide this fact. She dragged him over to the table and pulled out a chair quickly before she pulled him down forcefully. He stared at her in complete shock while she moved closer to him. His mouth was hanging open. "Damn, you just manhandled me." Dimly it occurred to her that she should be more careful with a gang member but she brushed it off in favor of going into doctor mode.

She rolled her eyes and gently dabbed away the blood, trying to get a better idea of his injuries. She shook her head slowly, mild disbelief making her head spin. She had somehow convinced herself that he was going to come back in a body bag or shot and bleeding out. With the cloth still in hand, her hands dropped down to run over the length of his torso gently. He didn't flinch, he just stared up at her face with the oddest expression on his face that Sakura couldn't decipher. She pulled at his cut, opening it up more so she could get to his flesh underneath. She pulled up his thick sweatshirt, looking at the white t-shirt underneath and finding no spots of blood underneath. He had blood on his cut and there were little spots of blood on his sweatshirt but none of it seemed to be his. Normally it would have freaked her out, but now it was oddly comforting to her if she ignored that tiny voice in the back of her head that was screaming at her in fear.

When she was satisfied that he wasn't bleeding out, she continued to clean up his face. After examining the wounds, she happily concluded that he wouldn't need stitches. She put the cloth down and gripped his shoulder quickly. "Stay here," she ordered firmly, leaving no room for argument.

She went into the living room and grabbed the bags she had dumped there and then returned to the kitchen. He was still seated like he had been told and still staring at her with that strange expression. She ignored the look and settled her bags on the table next to them. She pushed aside one bag and opened another, digging around in it for a moment before she found her desired items. She set out to cleaning the wounds clean before she could bandage him up.

They were silent throughout the entire process. Sakura cleaned the cuts and then applied butterfly bandages to his eyebrow and cheek. His knuckles weren't bad either so she cleaned them out and then wrapped up his hands. She moved over to the freezer and found a bag of peas, which she pressed to his face and finally wiped that odd expression off his face. He flinched away from the ice pack replacement and stuttered a, "Fuck, that's cold."

Sakura rolled her eyes and pressed the bag against his face again. "Stop complaining. If you don't want to be a swollen mess tomorrow, then keep the peas pressed to your face."

He grimaced at her but did as he was told. "You're very forceful."

She was cleaning up the mess and huffed in response. She zipped up the medical bag and stacked it on top of the other. She grabbed the dirty cloth and the discarded wrappers and balled it up in her hand before moving away from the table. She threw away the trash and started rinsing out the cloth in the sink. "One of my many flaws, I'm sure," she mumbled, feeling on edge.

"I wouldn't say it's a flaw. I sort of find it charming. It's refreshing."

Sakura snorted, keeping her back to him as she worked to clean the cloth. She heard the chair scrapping across the floor as he stood up and then moments later he was jumping up in the counter next to her. He gave her that grin, looking almost comical with a bag of peas pressed over his eye. "It's true. I'm used to everyone going out of their way to do what I tell them to do. It's nice to be the one who has to follow orders every once and awhile." Sakura nodded but didn't look up at him.

He leaned over slightly so he could try to get a better look at her face. His careful eyes flickered over her face, trying to read her. "You aren't looking at me."

She sighed and then looked up to meet his eyes. They were silent for a long moment before she broke the silence. "You scared the hell out of me tonight." In more ways than one.

He took a deep breath, his face solemn. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put this on you. I don't want you to be scared." Everything about his tone screamed sincerity and she found herself feeling safe in his presence again, not wanting to think about him being in a gang and instead wanting to see him as the loving father she has gotten to know.

She shut off the water and gripped the sink for support. She stared down into the sink, looking at the dirty washcloth drenched with water. She took a few calming breaths before she could muster up her voice. "I don't care that you brought me in. I was afraid for your wellbeing. What happened tonight?"

He leaned away and instead leaned the back of his head against the cabinet. He shrugged nonchalantly. "A few of the boys went out of town to go visit a friend a few towns over. They ran into some trouble with some member of another MC and needed help getting out of the situation. It got a little ugly and a fight broke out but we got the situation under control. All the boys are home and safe."

She studied his relaxed posture. "No guns fired?"

He shook his head and she felt relief flood through her. She had a million more questions bouncing around in her head but she knew she wasn't going to get anymore answers. She could see it in his eyes, he had locked down. She could ask all the questions she wanted but she would just be wasting her breath. Maybe one day she would be able to get them, but not tonight. And to be honest, she wasn't sure if she had the emotional energy to take the answers tonight.

A ringing sounded from across the room and caused both of them to jump. Sasuke's expensive phone was still sitting on the table, now dancing around the surface because of vibrate was on. Sasuke heaved a sigh and then hopped down to go answer the phone. He checked the caller ID quickly and then sighed heavily. "Hi Mom," he muttered.

Sakura smiled. In the month that she had been hanging out with Sasuke, she had seen his mother a few times. She came with him to the hospital for all of Aiden's appointments, and she had run into her a few times while she was running errands. She seemed like a strong woman, civil, but uneasy about her. Tsunade always seemed to be on her guard when she was around, like she didn't know what to expect from her. She was mostly civil with her, especially when Sasuke was around, but she got a bit tense with her at times.

"Why are you calling so late, it's almost four thirty in the morning? . . . So what if I was already up? That's not the point . . . Seriously? . . . You are so weird. You're lucky I was still up because I would have been pissed if you had woke me up at four in the morning just to wish me a happy birthday . . . Nah . . . Well it's been an interesting night . . . No . . . I'm sure you'll hear about it from Dad or Naruto . . . Really, I thought you were going you were going to sleep in . . . I don't like you being on the road at this time . . . You didn't have to do that. You could have slept in and then hit the road instead of waking up at an ungodly hour just to drive . . . You didn't have to do that for me . . . I was just going to sit at home all day if Dad didn't call me in for church . . . Nah, you don't have to do that, Ma . . . A party? Nah, I would rather just chill at home with Aiden . . . I can't take Aiden to a party, are you fucking kidding me? Not our kind of parties and I want to spend my birthday with my son . . . A dinner? . . . I mean, I guess since I obviously can't convince you otherwise . . . Yeah . . . Look, Mom, can you call back later . . . No, I want to take a shower and go to bed . . . Mom, I've been up since six yesterday morning because of Aiden and then the thing with Naruto . . . Mom, urgh . . ."

Sakura was listening to his conversation while leaning against the counter. He was still clutching the bag to his face, but Sakura could see how tired he looked. His body was sagging and he had to lean against the table because he was so exhausted he needed the support. She felt bad for him, especially since he had to deal with his mother now. He shrugged out of his cut and folded it carefully before setting it on the table. Distantly, she heard Aiden's cries and she pushed away from the counter. Sasuke must have heard him to because he was suddenly moving too, still talking on the phone.

"Mom, I've got to go, Aiden's crying . . . Mom, seriously, I'm hanging up because I've got to go," he said before he tapped the touch screen and then tucked the phone away. Sakura pulled on the back of his sweatshirt, stopping him in the hallway. He turned and looked at her.

She waved him off. "I'll talk care of Aiden. You go take your shower, I've got this."

He hesitated for only moment before nodding and giving her an appreciative look. He reached up and brushed his hand over her cheek. "You're an angel, sweetheart," he said softly before pulling off his sweatshirt and shirt in one quick movement and dropped carelessly on the floor. Sakura unconsciously dragged her eyes down his chest, freezing when she noticed his hands on his belt. He undid his belt in the same quick motion but didn't even bother removing it from the loops of his jeans. He unbuttoned his jeans and the zipper was pulled down before he turned around. The next thing she knew he was walking right out of his pants, underwear and all, and she was staring as his naked ass as he sauntered down the hall and entered the bathroom. She stood frozen for a long moment, noticing that he didn't bother to close the bathroom door. Dimly she was aware that he was ruining his bandages but she chose not to worry about it.

She shook herself out of her trance and quickly went into Aiden's room. She went to the side of the crib and scooped him up. She bounced him gently and made shushing noises until he began to calm down. She strolled out of the room after a moment, hoping that the movement would calm him down a bit. She strolled down the hallway, stepping over the clothes, and then paced back. She strolled all the way down hallway and stopped at the entrance of the bathroom. She stilled for a moment, unable to stop herself from glancing in.

There was steam emulating from the shower stall and filling the room in warm wisps. Her eyes moved to the stall, finding his tall form with his back to her. His hands were on the wall with his head lowered, letting the water hit his shoulders and slide down his back. The glass stall had a slightly obscured texture to it so that she could make out what his tattoo was but she couldn't make out the details of it. It was undeniably the hottest thing she had ever seen.

He turned his head and she jumped and quickly moved out of the way so he wouldn't see her watching him. She blushed madly and felt like smacking herself over the head. She had never been that kind of girl to eavesdrop or spy on people, especially when they were so exposed like that. She moved down the hall, and since Aiden had calmed down, she settled herself on the couch where Aiden cuddled against her chest and settled in for more sleep.

Sakura stayed there for awhile, calming herself down and listening to the sound of the water running from the bathroom. Soon, the water shut off and the house fell into a comfortable silence that was broken only by the quiet sounds of Sasuke shuffling around down the hall. A few moments later, Sasuke entered the living room while still dripping wet and covered only in a towel around his waist. He looked at her on the couch and then moved around to look at the child in her arms. He smiled softly.

Sakura smiled in response and tried to ignore the fact that he was in nothing but a towel. "He's out cold," she whispered softly as to not wake Aiden.

Sakura was settled with her back on the armrest and her legs stretched out over the length of the loveseat couch. Sasuke moved over to join her on soft cushioned couch, acting before Sakura could move. He grabbed her legs in a firm but gentle grip and lifted them up so he could sit. But instead of pushing her legs away, he settled them on his lap so that they were still stretched out like she had them before. Sakura blushed, her knees touching his still wet abs when he twisted his torso and leaned towards her to run a hand through Aiden's thick raven hair.

"He's a surprisingly sound sleeper for a young baby," he muttered in a calm voice and not seeming to be bothered by their close proximity.

Sakura cleared her throat and tried to sound unflustered. "He's really something. I've never met a baby who has the ability to capture your heart so quickly," she said, staring down at his sleeping face against her chest. Sakura smiled, noticing how much he looked like his father. Almost everything about his features screamed Sasuke. The pinkette dimly wondered if this was why she was so drawn to him because she was so drawn to Sasuke.

Sasuke smiled softly, his tired face containing a halfhearted expression of pride because he was too tired to muster up a full hearted one. He nodded and hummed in agreement. Sakura studied the raven haired male next to her and then gently pulled her legs away while trying not to jostle Aiden. "You look exhausted so I'm going to get going now so you can rest."

She stood carefully and Sasuke nodded and followed her example. "Let me get dressed and I'll walk you home."

Before, Sakura would have protested that she could walk herself out, but she had gotten used to him walking her. They had settled into a comfortable routine every time they hung out at his house so she was used to it by now. She nodded and together they walked down the hall. "Yeah, I'll put Aiden down while you get dressed."

Sakura went into the nursery and gently laid Aiden down in his crib. He stirred slightly, but then settled back into a comfortable sleep. She covered him in his blue blanket and then exited the room quietly. She moved into the bedroom next, seeing Sasuke now standing in a pair of sweats and zipping up a black sweatshirt over his bare chest. His sweatshirt was a plain black in front but had a scythe on the back. He grabbed the baby monitor and together they exited the bedroom.

He grabbed his keys while she grabbed her purse, deciding to keep her medical bags there, and Sasuke didn't bother with any shoes as they exited the house. As they stepped off the porch Sasuke reached out and grabbed her hand in a nonchalant manner, making Sakura's heart beat faster. She suppressed a smile and gently gripped his hand back. They moved a leisurely pace across the street, basking in the warmth and sensation of the other's presence. At times like this, it was easy to forget who he really was.

"So, it's your birthday?" Sakura muttered in a light tone.

Sasuke nodded. "Yup, I officially turned twenty nine at four twenty seven this morning." Sakura couldn't help but smiling, knowing that his mother had called at that time to wish him a happy birthday. It was incredibly sweet of her.

"So how's your birthday going so far?"

Sasuke snorted. "Oh, it's going fantastic," he said sarcastically with a laugh. "My day started out with a brawl." Sakura squeezed his hand and rubbed her thumb over the still wet bandages. He gave her a small smile and flexed his hand in hers.

He chewed on his lip for a moment and then looked at her. "My mom is coming home today for my birthday and she's having a big dinner. It's going to be family and friends; my parents and brothers, the boys from the club and their families. If you aren't busy, you should come."

Sakura couldn't help but smile. She didn't really look forward to seeing his mother, but she liked Sasuke, Aiden and Naruto. She liked the idea of meeting "the boys" and getting to know more of the people in his life. If she met them, then it was like he was letting her into his life more than just casual friends and she felt surprisingly happy at the thought. He was letting her in.

"Well, I don't have to work today and it does sound fun," she said, looking up at him. He smiled softly as well.

"Dinners like these are always fun. The boys really are a bunch of characters. You have to experience it to understand what I mean." They already reached her house and they climbed up to stand on the porch, their hands still linked.

Sakura smiled and leaned forward a little. "Well I can't turn down an opportunity like this, now can I?" she joked while slowly toying with their linked fingers. He shook his head and replied that she couldn't.

"Dinner is at seven thirty, but everyone meets at my parent's house by seven. Get a few hours of sleep. If you're ready by six thirty we can meet up and we'll take the Cutlass over together."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Why is it that we are automatically taking your car? What about mine?"

Sasuke snorted and looked over his shoulder to see the ugly Beetle behind him. He looked at her incredulously. "Well, the Cutlass already has Aiden's car seat installed, for one, and well, let's be honest. I'm not exactly sure if your car can make it. Mine actually starts on the first try and doesn't sound like the engine is about to explode every time he goes down the street."

Sakura glared at him halfheartedly. "Well, aren't you a mechanic? If we break down you can fix it."

Sasuke laughed once. "Yeah, if it's repairable. I haven't looked at your deathtrap so I don't know what kind of condition it is in. For all I know, I may need a lot of parts to fix that thing."

Sakura rolled her eyes and smiled. "Fine, we can take your car. Just don't insult my car. I've had that thing since I was sixteen and it has only broken down twice," she muttered in a prideful manner.

The raven looked at her with a disbelieving stare. "Twice?" he said and then shook his head. "Yeah, no, that's too easy to make fun of," he muttered to himself and brushed off her comment. She rolled her eyes in response, though she was sort of grateful that he didn't say anything more about her car.

Sasuke gave her that sexy grin and tucked the baby monitor in his sweatshirt pocket to free up his hand. His now free hand moved up to brush her cheek. "Get some sleep," he muttered and then slowly withdrew his hand from hers. She nodded and dug in her bag momentarily to pull out her keys. Instead of letting her struggle with the lock, Sasuke was the one who opened the door for her and flicked on the light for her.

She glanced inside and then looked up at him with a smile. She reached up to grip the back of his head and pulled him down a bit. His eyes widened as she rose up at her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek. She pulled away and smiled at him. "So how's your birthday going now?"

He smirked and stood back up to his natural height. "Getting better by the moment," he said and then brushed his hand over her cheek again.

"Thanks for taking care of everything tonight," he mumbled and she waved a dismissive hand.

"Don't worry about it, big boy," she said and then stepped inside. "If you ever need me, I'm right here."

He nodded and then turned around and walked back home. She watched him go, closing the door as he reached his porch. She locked up, threw her bag on the couch and then made her way to her bedroom. She really needed to sleep if she wanted to be ready for tonight.

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><p><strong>Well, i hoped you like. Please review. I'm working on the seventh chapter as we speak and the more reviews i get the more motivated i get. When i have more chapters done, the quicker i can update. It's a vicious cycle.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**It's a little late, but hey sorry. Thanks to all of you who reviewed. I received twenty seven reviews for one chapter, which is amazing. Thank you.**

**Don't know how well it is edited. Probably not too good.**

**EDIT: I forgot to mention but there is an OC in this chapter that isn't mine. Sayuki belongs to **Sayuki Takamura Kuro TatsuHime**. She messaged me giving me permission to use her OC and Sayuki was so perfect for the story that i couldn't resist.**

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

Club Dinner

Tsunade had been busy today. She and her daughter-in-law Sayuki had been on a trip to visit her parents up north. Tsunade never really got along with her mother, but she had an excellent relationship with her father. When her parents needed someone to come up to help out around the house and get everything in order, she went for the sake of her father and because she was their only child. But of course she had to bring someone with her or else she would have ended up choking her mother. Usually she would have taken Minato or one of her boys, but they were busy with club business. So she took the next best thing, Itachi's wife.

So when the week of her stay was up, she couldn't wait to be out of there. She and Sayuki woke up at three thirty and were out of the door by four in the morning. It was Sasuke's birthday and she needed to get home quickly for her baby. And after a call to him she was in an even bigger rush to get home after hearing about the incident that happened early that morning. She had to call Minato to get the full story.

Naruto and a few of the boys were sent out to visit a friendly MC. They were situated right next to Militia territory and were constantly running into trouble with them and calling for help from Konoha. Minato can only do so much, but he sent out his boys to discuss a patch over (when an MC votes to relieve their own MC and instead decide to join a bigger MC) to make another Akatsuki charter. If they patched over, they could get help from more Akatsuki charters than just the Konoha boys. However, when the boys went down to have a discussion, some Militia men decided to join the party and cause of problem. Naruto and the boys spent an hour held up in a bar with the other MC waiting for help to arrive. Brawl broke out when the rest of the boys showed up but no one was seriously hurt. In the end, the Militia got a beating and the Akatsuki expanded to create another charter in the area.

The girls got back home around two in the afternoon and Tsunade's first action was to clean the house. Whenever she left for more than a day the boys always ended up messing up the house. Minato usually kept it sort of orderly, but Naruto is the biggest slob and he's always in and out of the house. While she cleaned, Sayuki went out shopping for more groceries for the dinner. Hinata came over around three to help Tsunade clean up Naruto's mess and then Ino and Tenten rolled in around four with food and desserts and helped the queen with dinner.

Minato came home at six smelling like sweat and gasoline, covered in oil stains. With the instructions to not touch anything, he went straight to the bathroom for a shower. The boys started rolling in around six forty and as more came in the louder it got. The girls mostly in the kitchen while the boys were crowded around the table in the dining room, a mere wall separating them so there was a lot of yelling back and forth and bullshitting.

When Sasuke and Sakura pulled up in the Cutlass, they could hear the noise as soon as they stepped out of the car. Sakura pulled Aiden out of the car seat and into her arms while Sasuke grabbed the diaper bag and eyed the line of black motorcycles in the street and driveway. He led her up the drive and through the side door, straight into the kitchen.

Tsunade was very happy to see Sasuke step through the door. "Finally, happy birthday, Baby," she said as she rushed him in the doorway. He examined his bruised face, a look of concern on her face as she gushed over him and he shook her off with reassurances of his good health. She hugged him then froze when she realized he didn't have Aiden. However, before she could question him about it, Sasuke moved them out of the doorway so Sakura could step in with Aiden. "Oh, you brought the Doc," she muttered mostly to herself. Sakura smiled sweetly to everyone, watching as Sasuke hugged all the woman in the kitchen. He turned and gestured her forward, tucking her under his arm. He pointed to all the women and introduced them.

Ino was a beautiful, curvy blonde woman who smiled at her but seemed to be on guard around her. Hinata was a stunning, meek raven haired girl who greeted her kindly, seeming slightly confused about her presence there. Tenten was a gorgeous brunette who offered a smile but didn't bother coming up to greet her and instead stayed by the counter. Tsunade eyed her and nodded a greeting to her, but only when Sasuke insisted. Sakura hadn't been nervous about meeting everyone, but she was suddenly very nervous after that reception from the woman. They didn't seem to like her being there.

Sasuke eyed the woman in the room unhappily before shaking his head and ushering Sakura out of the room. As he was exiting, he turned and gave them all a glare for treating Sakura like they did. They weren't even giving her the benefit of the doubt. And it was pissing him off.

This parent's house was much bigger than his own house. It was away from the business district with fewer neighbors around. The kitchen had two open doorways which lead out into the dining room. The dining room was dominated by a large oak table that comfortably fit at least twenty people. When Sasuke and Sakura entered, all the boys were hanging around the table laughing and yelling jokes, looking equally bruised and covered in bandages as Sasuke was. However, none of them seemed to be effected by it and were acting like they weren't hurt at all. It was a sight to see: a large group of men crowded around a table all speaking loudly, wearing the same leather cuts and looking like they had been through one hell of a fight and happy as if they had come out the victors. Naruto was the one who noticed their entrance and loudly yelled a greeting.

"Yo, birthday boy!" he yelled and started a chorus of similar yells. Sasuke smiled and greeted them all and introduced them to Sakura as he went. The boys greeted her much more openly than the woman had. Naruto actually hugged her and helped with the introductions.

Jiraiya was an older man in his fifties with white hair that Sasuke had to warn to be careful and courteous around her. Apparently he was a major pervert and Sasuke jokingly warned her to watch her back around him. Shikamaru was a brunette the same age as Sasuke at twenty nine with a ponytail on the top of his head and had his daughter seated in his lap. His daughter was a dirty blonde little girl with pigtails and looked to be around four years old. Neji was a brunette a year older than Sasuke at thirty with long hair and his son next to him and his daughter in his lap. Both kids were brunettes like him. The boy looked about six or seven while the girl looked to be around four. Shino was a dark haired male with sunglasses who was forty six years old. Choiji was a thicker man the same age as Naruto, Twenty eight. Kiba was a brown haired male forty year old man with red tattoos on his face.

Itachi was Sasuke's older brother. Right away, Sakura could tell that they were related. Out of everyone in his family, Itachi was the only one who was blood related to him and when the two stood next to each other, you could tell. Itachi looked very similar to Sasuke except he had long raven hair versus Sasuke's short hair. Itachi was five years older than Sasuke at thirty four and married, with his wife seated on his lap. Sayuki was a gorgeous woman with long silver hair with blue highlights with the strangest, and yet surprisingly striking, golden eyes she had ever seen. Sayuki was cold and unemotional when introduced to Sakura but Sasuke assured her that she was like that with everyone at first.

The last person they greeted was Minato. He gave Sakura a big smile and was kind to her, though it sort of seemed like he was doing it for Sasuke's sake and not for any joy of meeting her on his part.

Sasuke took his usual seat to Minato's left and seated Sakura right next to him. Aiden was completely comfortable with Sakura at the moment and cried whenever someone tried to take him from her. He wouldn't even allow his grandpa to hold him so Sakura settled him in her lap, one of her arms supporting him. Her other hand was being held by Sasuke.

The women were coming in and out of the kitchen now. They were putting food on the table and then lingering around to laugh and joke with the family. Sasuke leaned over to press his mouth to her ear and talk to her while gesturing discreetly.

He pointed at Ino who had pulled the girl off of Shikamaru's lap and held her on her hip. "Ino is Shikamaru's old lady. She used to be a porn star but quit when she married Shika. Now she is a porn director and producer, working behind the camera. She works in a studio that the club owns. We are sort of business partners, we protect her girls and get fifty percent cut and she gets a free studio and our assistance with anything she needs."

She pointed to Tenten, who was standing behind Neji's chair and holding the little boy's hand. "Tennie is Neji's old lady. Her dad used to hang out with the club but never really joined. She's grown up around the club just like Neji, whose dad was an original member like mine. They've been married for awhile. She works with Ino at the studio as a second director and producer and manages the books."

Hinata was entered the dining room with a large dish in her hands and put it down on the table in front of Naruto. He gave her a large stupid grin and pulled her into a quick kiss before she exited the dining back into the kitchen. "Hinata and Naruto were junior high sweethearts. They met in the seventh grade through Neji, who is Hinata's cousin. They started dating and have been dating since. Naruto is just too stupid to get his shit together and put a ring on her finger and Hinata is too modest to ask him herself."

Itachi was seated on the other side of Sakura while Sayuki helped out in the kitchen. "Itachi and Sayuki married two years ago. He met her when he went to visit another charter. She was the daughter of a club member and she swept him off his feet. She works part time at the garage as one of our best mechanics. She can build any fucking car from scratch and designs the sickest vehicles on the road. Mom has been ragging on her and Itachi since they announced their engagement for a grandchild. Right now I'm their savior because I had Aiden and it got Mom attention off of them for awhile. We all doubt it will last long, but she is so enthralled in Aiden that she can't even think of Sayuki's barren womb."

Sakura huffed and turned her head to whisper to him. Their lips came dangerously close to coming in contact because of this, but both tried to play it off. She leaned her lips over to his ear. "Well it seems that there is a lot of drama and gossip in the Akatsuki."

Sasuke gave that grin and nodded. "Yeah, there is always drama unfolding within our world."

Sakura gave a small smile. "Well, I'm no stranger to drama and I can handle it fairly well."

Sasuke smirked. "Oh, well that's a good thing to know. It's sort of a relief," he muttered before his mother brought in the last of the food and they all began to dig in. With Aiden in her lap Sakura was having difficulty making a plate for herself so Sasuke stepped in. He made them up two plates filled with delicious foods.

After a few minutes of eating, Sakura found herself enjoying herself. There were yelling and laughing, crude language and jokes that flew over the heads of the kids present but had Sakura blushing. Everyone was having fun, ignoring her for the most part and not sending her suspicious stares and uneasy vibes. She was able to sit back and watch; getting an idea of who each person was and enjoy seeing how these friends were like one large dysfunctional and unconventional family. Wine, beer and liquor was passed around and Sakura quickly decided to limit herself when Sasuke started throwing back shots and gulping down beers with his meal. He seemed to have a high tolerance level because they didn't seem to be affecting him but she thought it would be wise nonetheless.

There wasn't any presents or cake and ice cream. There wasn't a spoiled birthday boy or girl getting whatever they wanted just because it was their day. In fact, Sasuke seemed to be the butt of all the jokes that circulated around the table until he was able to point the conversation in another direction and torture another person for awhile until it circulated back to him. It wasn't like any birthday celebration she had ever been too but somehow it was so much better. Nothing seemed forced and everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there unlike other parties she had been to where there seemed to be at least one party pooper.

Camaraderie filled the air and let Sakura finally understand more about this gang. This club wasn't about having power and protecting their territory. It was about family, friendship, loyalty and home. It was about protecting what they held valuable, and sacrificing and going whatever it took to unsure that that happened.

X

Dinner had wrapped up, but everyone was still lingering around the table. They had broken up into separate conversations and loud chatter filled the room. Sakura was locked in a conversation with Naruto and Hinata, though it was mostly Sakura and Naruto that were going back and forth. She still held Aiden in her arms, now feeding him a bottle when he started getting fussy, while Sasuke sat next to them listening to the uncommonly silly and funny conversation that was unfolding in front of him. Minato sat next to them at the head of the table, listening as well while Tsunade grabbed dirty plates off the table and moved them into the kitchen.

Sasuke shook his head and quietly whispered his excusal to Sakura before grabbing a few dirty dishes and following his mother into the kitchen. He glanced back once to be sure she would be okay alone with Naruto, quickly catching his father's eye and giving him a warning look and a reluctant nod. He smirked and went to his mother's side, knowing that his father would step in if anyone tried to attack her while he was away.

He set the dishes down next to the sink where his mother stood, her back to him so she didn't see his approach. She offered a smile and a small thank you before running a plate under the faucet to ride it of the extra food residue left behind. Sasuke leaned against the counter behind him, picking at a platter and popping a cherry tomato in his mouth.

"Just say it," he muttered, looking at the wall and chewing slowly.

She sighed next to him and shut off the water. She leaned against the sink for a moment for support before she turned and stared at his profile with a serious face. "I don't trust her."

Sasuke gave her an exasperated look out of the corner of his eyes and then popped another tomato in his mouth. "You don't know her," he stated calmly.

Tsunade nodded her head once, as if his words proved her point. "Exactly, and neither do you. You've known her for a month and already she's taking care of Aiden. What are you thinking?"

Sasuke sighed and turned his head to look at her. "I trust her. She's not a fucking croweater or a sweetbutt. She's a surgeon who specializes in the care of children. If anyone can take care of Aiden I'm pretty sure she is capable of doing so."

She rolled her eyes and then looked at him with fierce expression. "Whatever. I don't care if she's a stripper or the fucking president; you don't know her well enough to trust my grandchild with her." She was whispering harshly, trying to be quiet but letting him know that if the other room wasn't filled with a bunch of people she would be yelling.

Sasuke didn't deem her comment worth a response so he just heaved a small sigh and looked at her expectantly. He knew her well enough to know when she was done and when she had more to bitch about.

She stepped closer to him, calming her whisper. "I had Kakashi check her background," she stated as if she commenting on something as normal as the weather.

"You're fucking shitting me, right?" Sasuke asked with a blank face.

She ignored him and continued as if he hadn't said anything. "Has some impressive academic history. Her parents weren't extraordinary, but they divorced when she was thirteen and her mother got custody of her and her older brother, an architect still living in the city. She got good grades in high school so she got a scholarship and then went to the best university and med school in the area she grew up in across the nation. She did her internship in her home city and then decided to move here for her residency in the middle of buttfuck nowhere. She could have done her residency anywhere, in much bigger hospitals, because a bunch of hospitals were jumping at the bit to have her on their staff. Every one of her applications she sent out was answered with a positive outcome for her but she chose our quant St Thomas out of all of places. Tell me, why would she do that?"

Sasuke shrugged, clearly humoring her as he pooped another tomato in his mouth. "I don't know, because her granddaddy died and gave her a free house?" he muttered.

She shook her head. "That's just an excuse. She could have rented an apartment easily in any city with the money would have been making. A better future versus a free house and she chooses the house? There had to be another reason."

Sasuke sighed. "Well I'm sure you have some sort of reason so why don't you just tell me so I don't have to continue this guessing game." He looked at her impatiently.

She leaned closer, putting on hand on her hip and leaning the other on the counter. "Kakashi found that she has a restraining order."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. "Someone issued a restraining order against her?" he asked dryly.

Tsunade glowered at him, not liking his attitude. "No, she issued a restraining order against someone else. The name of the person was not included in the report, but shortly after the order was issued she moved out of the city into a neighboring city. Six months later she was here."

Sasuke sighed. "Your point?"

Tsunade leaned away slightly. "She's running from something and I don't trust her."

Sasuke looked at her evenly and then reached with both hands to cradle her head between his hands. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead and then pulled away to look her in the eyes without moving his hands. "Mom, don't worry. I'm not going to put my son in any danger. I'm not jumping into anything without thoroughly thinking this through. I've got everything handled. You don't have to take care of me anymore."

She glared at him. "Honey, I'm always taking care of you. You may be a genius but you don't always use that head of yours. You need someone to take care of you or you will end up flat on your ass."

Sasuke blinked and considered his next words carefully. "Well, that may be true but it doesn't mean it has to be you to take care of me," he trailed off after a moment before continuing. "Maybe it's time you let someone else step in to patch me up."

He quickly moved away and exited the room before his mother could react. When he entered the dining room he saw that Kiba and Jiraiya had joined the conversation between Sakura and Naruto, and Hinata and Minato were acting as referees. Sasuke moved to join them, sitting back down next to Sakura who smiled happily at him before continuing firing off retorts to Naruto's silly notions. Aiden had finished his bottle and Sakura quickly told him that he had already been burped. Sasuke nodded and then took him from Sakura's arms when he began to wiggle in her arms in search for his old man.

After a half hour, Tsunade came out to join them at the table, telling her husband that the dishes were done. Both Sasuke and his mother made an effort to act normal, though there was some tension between the two now. He would need to apologize later but now wasn't the time. It was a party and he was buzzed from all the alcohol that he had been consuming throughout the night.

Around midnight Aiden was getting exceedingly fussy. He had been alternating between sleeping and then waking up to fuss for Sakura if Sasuke was holding him and vice versa. Sasuke was currently holding him while Sakura was getting the diaper bag in the living room. The raven was moving around the room and saying goodbye to those who haven't left already.

He moved over to his parents. Aiden was nestled with his face against his neck, sleeping peacefully at the moment but would probably be waking up again soon to fuss about not being in bed yet. Sasuke clasped a hand on his father's shoulder and said his goodbye before he bent to kiss his mother on the cheek and mutter his goodbye to her. She shook her head.

"Oh, no you don't. You're not driving, especially with my grandchild in the car."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm only buzzed, it's not like I'm drunk."

"You're still not driving," she stated firmly and his father nodded in agreement.

Sasuke rolled his eyes as Sakura entered the dining room with the diaper bag over her shoulder and her purse. In her hand was the car keys because she had whispered to him firmly that she would be driving home tonight in that tone that left no room for argument. There was something about that tone that interested Sasuke; he liked that she wasn't afraid to be firm with him.

Sakura made her way over to where he was standing and asked if he was ready. She had already said her goodbyes quickly to everyone present. The boys all seemed to like her, while the girls were still uneasy of her with the exception of Hinata whom sent the bulk of the night with her and the two brothers.

Sasuke nodded and gestured towards Sakura hand before his parents could object. "Sakura already has the keys, Mom. She took them during dinner," he stated matter-of-factly.

Naruto, who had been watching, frowned grumpily. "She's driving the Cutlass? You don't even let me drive the Cutlass," he complained and Sasuke smirked.

"That's because I've seen you drive. I don't trust your squirrelly ass with my car."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Oh, and you trust her?"

Sasuke nodded and Naruto through his hands up in the air. "I've seen her driving in town! She's slower than an old woman!"

Sasuke snorted. "That's because her car sucks," he said before he was lightly smacked on his free arm by the pinkette. She glared at him and he looked at her innocently. "Well, it's true."

"Stop bad mouthing my car because you're going to hurt his feelings and he's going to give up on me," she stated as if it was an actual reason a car may fail.

Sasuke shook his head slowly. "I'm not going to comment on that," he muttered before he turned his attention back to his parents. Tsunade still wasn't happy, but she let him go knowing that he wasn't driving. She followed them out, listening to the chorus of the remaining boys yells of goodbyes and urging Sasuke to bring Sakura back around soon, and then stood to watch as Sasuke put Aiden in the car seat and Sakura got into the driver's seat. Minato followed his wife out and put an arm around her shoulder. They stood watch as Sasuke climbed in and situated himself before they backed out of the driveway.

"She's not bad, you know," Minato muttered as Sakura put the car in drive. "She may not be one of us in our world, but she isn't bad. She has potential though."

Tsunade frowned watching as the taillights disappeared from view. "I still don't trust her," she said and Minato chuckled and then pulled her into a kiss.

"You don't like any of his girls. Naruto starts dating Hinata and you start making up plans and picking out color schemes for a wedding that still isn't going to happen. Itachi finds Sayuki in a whole other city and you drive down to take her shopping. Sasuke knocks up a girl and you drive up to Suna to threaten her. He brings home Temari and you are counting the days until she goes back home. He brings home a _surgeon_ who is great with Aiden and you check into her background."

Tsunade glowered at him. "Shut up."

X X

Sakura pulled into the driveway and then helped Sasuke get into the house. Together they put Aiden down for bed and grabbed the baby monitor before they exited the room. They lingered around the house for a while longer before Sakura decided it was time for her to go home. She had to work in the morning and it was already twelve forty-ish. As usual Sasuke went to walk her home.

He held her hand, their fingers intertwined. They made it to the door and Sakura smiled. "I'm glad I went tonight. It was nice."

He chewed on his lip for a brief moment and gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry about some of the weirdness. The girls are suspicious by nature," he muttered.

She shrugged it off. "It's fine. I didn't expect everyone to like me right away. It's like that with every family, right? You always have at least someone who is wary of a new person coming into their family."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. "So, you're coming into my family now?" he asked, causing Sakura to blush.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I-I didn't mean," she trailed off, flustered. "I just meant that," she trailed off again, blushing deeper now that she was blabbering like an incoherent idiot.

She expected him to laugh at her and give her that sexy grin but instead he looked at her seriously before dropping his gaze. "Look," he said and then stopped, instantly having all of Sakura's attention.

He started again. "Look, I'm not an innocent or good person by any standards. I've done a lot of bullshit in my life, some illegal and some that have made me into a complete and total ass," he trailed off, making Sakura's heart sink and a shiver run down her spine. She could practically taste the rejection that was about to come, making her head spin.

He looked up at her with an intense look in his dark eyes but otherwise blank face. "But I'm a father now and I'm trying to change. With my way of life, it's hard for me to change completely and I'm still going to do things that are frowned upon by most, but I'm trying to be less of an ass. I'm trying to change the way I do things. He's given me a new pair of glasses and I'm seeing things differently now. I've changed. I'm not as reactive and I can take the time to think things through before I just act. But I still got more changing to do.

"I need to start thinking about doing things for the sake of my son, like growing up, getting my shit together, and maybe even settling down." His tongue darted out to moisten his lips. He snorted. "I'm going to regret this in the morning when I'm less buzzed," he muttered to himself while shaking his head.

He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I'm looking for someone to be there for the future. I'm not looking for a fling or anything like that but a real relationship. And I know it's soon and I really don't know if you even like me like how I like you, but I need to know. I need to know if you can see this going somewhere because if you don't," he said, trailing off and shaking his head. He lowered his head and laughed once at himself.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm putting a lot on you all of a sudden. I'm sorry," he muttered, but Sakura wasn't really paying attention anymore.

She had been so sure he was going to set her straight, tell her that he had no intention of letting her in any farther. Her mind flashed that he was a playboy. Of course he didn't want her hanging around him like if they were in an actual relationship. They were friends and all the flirting, the hugs, and hand holding was because he is a playboy. And she had embarrassed the hell out of herself for imaging and assuming more.

And then he started talking about him changing, and she could see it. It sort of made sense to her then. He had never really acted like a player with her. He was mysterious, and still is, but he was kind to her. She had seen him in town enough to see that he acted differently around her and other woman. She could see that he never acted upon it, though woman seemed to be drawn to him, and it hadn't made sense considering all that she had heard about him. But with all this change talk in mind, she could see that he was different from what she had heard.

And now he was asking about a possible relationship with her. He was asking about a serious relationship, something she had been hiding from for months now. But with him, she felt different. She felt safe, content, and happy for the first time in months and oddly whole, something she had never felt with anyone else before. And the weird part, she could see a future with him. She could see her taking care of Aiden as her own, she herself in his house, cooking dinner and making a life there.

So she acted, forgetting any doubt or past experience and just let her body react. She silenced Sasuke's apologizes by reaching up and gripping the back of his head. She pulled him forward as much as she could and rose up on her toes to press her lips against his. He offered no surprised sound but instead responded immediately and placed one hand on her waist to draw her closer and another on the back of her head, fisting her hair.

The kiss was simple but so much better than any kiss Sakura had ever had. There was no tongue, just small movements of two lips that seemed to mesh in a simply perfect way. She felt warm tingles spreading throughout her body and an intense, hot, sensation pooling in the pit of her stomach. It was an odd sensation, something that was almost like the sensation of a building orgasm but at the same time completely different. It was intense like it, but somehow so much more . . . electrifying and at the same time controlled.

They broke apart after a moment, both having to take a deep breath. It wasn't that they had been kissing for a long time, it was actually a pretty short kiss, but both had unconsciously stopped breathing because of the intense sensations flooding their systems. Sasuke stepped back and took a calming breath, placing a hand over his heart. He let out a short laugh. "My damn ticker is going all over the place. I need to remember to take my medication," he muttered so quietly she almost missed it.

Sakura stepped forward and placed a hand over his. He stilled, staring seriously at her face until his hand moved to wrap around the end of her fingers. She smiled at him and reached up to brush his dark hair out of his eyes. "I get off work at six tomorrow. If you aren't busy, would you like to go out for dinner?"

He smirked and nodded. "I have some work all day, but I think I can finish before six. I'll pick you up at the hospital and we'll go out."

Sakura smiled and squeezed his hand. "It's a date."

Sasuke gave a small smile and looked back at his house. "I should get back to Aiden."

Sakura nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest. His strong arms wrapped around her tightly before one arm ghosted up her back to fist her hair again. Sakura took a deep breath, silently trying to memorize his scent. They held each other for a long moment before they pulled back enough to look at each other. Sakura stood on her toes and try to give him a chaste kiss. However, she was still too short causing Sasuke to chuckle and then stoop a little so she could reach. Their lips pressed together for only a moment before they pulled apart.

Sasuke helped her open her door and flicked on the light for her, a habit by now. She smiled at him and bid her farewell before watching him walk to his porch. She smiled at him when he looked over his shoulder before stepping into his house before she closed her door and locked up. She leaned her back against the door, placing a hand over her beating heart, and smiled to herself.

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><p><strong>Running late. Off to do homework that i have been putting off all summer. Wish me luck.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Yeah, it's late but school starts next week and i'm still swamped with homework. Plus i just got a new puppy who is the cutest little thing in the work but she also happens to be the most annoying thing too. My updates should be coming a bit slower now that school is starting again but i promise they will come.**

**oh, 100 plus reviews! Thank you guess so much! That's amazing to me. **

**Enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Busy Day

Sasuke had an early start the next day. He was up by six where he got Aiden and himself ready for the day. Hinata was going to watch Aiden for the day and as a result, she and Naruto stopped by at seven to pick them up. Sasuke packed the diaper bag for his son and then gave the kind raven haired woman the keys to the Cutlass. Hinata didn't have a car at the moment because of certain boyfriend of hers crashed it and both boys needed to be at the clubhouse right away for church and didn't have time to drop her off at her house. Sasuke trusted her with his car though because he and Neji were the ones to teach her to drive when they were younger and she learned all of his good driving habits and none of his bad.

Sakura looked to already have left for work when he exited the house at seven thirty and helped Hinata buckle his son into the car seat. When they were both settled, he mounted his Harley and nodded to his brother. Naruto yawned and then motioned with his hand for Hinata to back out of the driveway. She did so, going left out of the driveway and down the street. Naruto and Sasuke moved out at the same time, going to the right.

They had to go straight into the chapel when they entered the clubhouse, only having time to stop in the kitchen quickly. They were running, almost knocking over their mother who was melting down chocolate and had various pieces of fruit on toothpicks ready to be dipped. Naruto grabbed a muffin off the table while Sasuke snatched some fruit before they sprinted out of the room, ignoring their mother's angry yells and tossing their phones in the box outside the door of the chapel so they could enter.

"Nice of you to join us, boys," Minato muttered as he leaned back in his chair comfortably, seeming to not have a care in the world. He didn't even look at them as they closed the doors behind them and look their respected seats on either side of him. He stared at the ceiling, puffing smoke from his cigar into rings of wispy clouds. "It's nice to know that my vice president and sergeant-at-arms care enough to arrive on time for our meetings."

Sasuke glared at his brother across from him and then relaxed into his chair. "It's not my fault. I was up at six so I could be on time. Your son, however, slept in and detained me."

Naruto slammed his hand on the table. "Bastard, just throw me under the bus like that! You're making me look bad in front of our father!"

Sasuke shrugged. "Well it's not a hard task to do, Dobe, considering it is you. Plus, Dad likes me more."

"Does not!" he shouted back and Kiba next to him smacked him on the back of his head.

"Ah, shut up already. You're dumb ass has already put us behind enough as it is without wasting more time with this petty argument."

Naruto slouched grumpily in his chair, arms crossed with his muffin close to his face. "How come I'm the only one that gets hit? Sasuke was in the argument too," he complained before taking an angry bite of his muffin. Sasuke smirked smugly at him before looking at his father.

Minato looked around and gestured loosely at all the boys. "What do we have today, boys?"

Shikamaru was leaning lazily against the table. "I finished updating our security system. Not only do we have cameras monitoring the both entrances to the clubhouse, but we now have some in the lot, garage, and roofs. Every inch of the property has a camera on it, in several different angles." Shikamaru was their computer whiz and intelligence officer.

Minato nodded in agreement as one of the boys muttered about how they couldn't be too careful. He muttered a good job to the lazy adult and then moved on, looking at Neji who was the treasurer for the club. He looked at the papers in front of him. "Ino and Tenten are doing very well and we've actually seen a spike in profits by one percent. The guns are pulling in good business as well and everyone has already paid their dues this month with the exception of Naruto."

Naruto laughed innocently and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hinata and I just had a nice anniversary dinner and it put me behind a little. I'm a little short this month."

Minato looked at his son evenly. "By how much?"

Naruto laughed nervously. "Well, all of it."

Itachi glared at his youngest brother. Naruto was always wasting his money on stupid things and never really got his shit together. He was almost twenty eight years old and he was still living with mom and dad part time and then part time with Hinata. He didn't have his own responsibilities and often got himself into trouble anyways. "Sure, you spent your entire monthly due on a single dinner. You've been fucking around and wasting your money on stupid shit, don't try to blame Hinata."

Naruto glared at his eldest brother. Out of all the brothers, Sasuke was the one who was most into the club, Naruto was the immature one, and Itachi was the serious one. Sasuke and Naruto were both really close in age so they spent a lot of time together growing up and become best friends. Itachi was five years older and had his own niche of friends that he grew up with, though he managed to remain close to his brothers because of the way their family was. Still, Itachi wasn't nearly as close as Sasuke and Naruto were. Naruto and Itachi clashed because they were almost complete opposites in a different way than Sasuke and Naruto. The younger brothers were different from one another, but complimented each other. Itachi shared very few things in common with the youngest and wasn't able to compliment him the way Sasuke did.

Sasuke sensed a fight about to ensue and quickly spoke. "I will front Naruto the money this month and you can pay me back as soon as you get the money," he said, which received a smile from the blonde and an eye roll from the older raven.

"You're always covering his ass. We all know Naruto already owes you a fortune and he's never going to pay you back. We're all struggling with bills and trying to support our families and he's just blowing his money on stupid shit. I know your financial situation and it's not any better than mine, in fact it took a hit when you were in Suna. You have sick kid and that's expensive and you hadn't done all the gun runs that we've done over the past two years and they're our major source of income. Stop covering his ass and think about your family and let Naruto do is own thing. He's going to fall on his ass but at least he'll learn sooner or later and get his shit together," Itachi ranted angrily to his brother, years of frustration building and building.

Naruto leaned around Kiba and glared at his brother. "Fuck you! I am his family, you dumbass, so he is thinking about it. And it's not like you're one to talk! We all know that Sayuki is the brains behind your little operation!" he shouted, and Kiba frowned, hating that he was literally always stuck in the middle of the fights between the two and no one would switch him seats. This was the reason why Kiba had been wary of letting three brothers join the same charter. Siblings always squabbled about something or another and he always said that there was enough drama without family problems. Plus, Sasuke and Minato fought enough to cause a lot of problems and the last thing they needed was more fights between Naruto and Itachi.

Minato slammed his hands on the table, shaking it. "Enough! We are in the middle of a church meeting! Save this shit for your own time, you fucking brats! Grow up and act your age! I didn't raise you all to act like children!"

All three brothers hung their heads in shame, though Sasuke was only trying to play interference between them and ended up getting dragged into. Minato looked at each one of his sons who refused to look at him before rubbing his temples. "What else?"

Sasuke cleared his throat. "We have our Mist connections in town for a new shipment, some AK's and semi-automatics. I think we should send some boys down to do a quality check before we buy it and take it up to the warehouse." He waited for a nod from his father before continuing. "Additionally we have a buyer for our past shipment. Our friends, the Greens, down south need more muscle to protect their borders against the Militia. They want the whole shipment and have arranged for a meeting in a discreet location. If we are sending out boys to pick up a shipment and go to the warehouse, we might as well send them out to do the run. Saves time and gas."

Minato nodded. "If we're doing a run, we'll need more boys just in case," he stated and then looked around the table. "Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Jiraiya, and Neji and I will go. The rest of the boys should stay here in the shop and keep my lady from strangling any customers and maybe finish those cars in the shop. You know, keep an eye out."

The boys nodded and Choiji leaned back in his chair. "I heard some interesting news in town." He waited until he had everyone's attention before he began. He pushed his hand through his messy hair. "Went down to the barbershop yesterday for a haircut and heard the boys in town talking. Your favorite drug dealer is out of prison and if I know Kabuto, he's probably already cooking up some crank."

"We might need to play him a visit. You know, remind him that Konoha is off limits," Kiba muttered. Minato muttered in agreement.

Sasuke shrugged. "He lives on the edge of town and we're going to be passing by anyways. We might as well pay him a visit before our quality check."

Minato nodded. "Agreed. If there isn't any other matters on the table then we should leave right way." He looked around and met everyone's eyes quickly before he was satisfied. He slammed the gavel down and the boys stood quickly stood up. Before Sasuke got far, his father's beefy hand landed on his shoulder. Sasuke stilled and then looked to his father, who seemed to be waiting for the other boys to fully exit before he looked at him seriously.

"Can you really swing Naruto's and your own share?"

Sasuke heaved a large sigh. "Oh, not you too," he muttered with a roll of the eyes. "I have everything all taken care of. I'm not fucking rich, but I can pay my bills. What is with everyone?"

Minato leaned against the table. "We just worry about you. Having a sick kid at home is stressful, especially as a single parent. Hell, I know more than anyone, being a single parent myself until me and your mom hooked up. It's hard, and the only thing that pulled me through was Tsunade. We worry about you and try to help out as much as we can but we both know you have too much pride to ask for any money. With only your income, we worry. Is your insurance helping you pay?"

Sasuk sighed and ran a hand through his raven disarray locks. "The insurance will pay for two hospital visits for me and two for Aiden. I was able to talk them into allowing me to trade in my visits for Aiden, so four visits were covered."

Minato crossed his arms and looked at his son evenly. "Well Aiden's been in for more than four visits. So what you're basically saying is that the rest of the bills are coming out of your pocket and if you get hurt you're screwed?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Dad, don't worry about it. I've got everything handled. Plus, I have the Doc across the street to patch me up when I get hurt."

His father nodded and gave a suggestive look. "Yeah, and in your bed, right my boy?" he said with a snort.

Sasuke glared at his father. "Hey, watch it. Don't talk about her like that. She's not in my bed and I don't appreciate you implying that it's all about sex. Not everything is about sex, you asshole."

Minato raised his hands in defense. "Okay, sorry. I meant it as a joke, but I see you aren't in a joking mood today. Look son, I'm just worried. Are you sure you're okay?"

Sasuke nodded and looked at his father evenly, still slightly miffed by his father's earlier rude comment. "I've got everything covered. Stop worrying."

The older blonde male frowned at his son. "Forgive me for not believing you."

Sasuke moved towards the door. "You believe whatever you want but I'm done discussing this. Now let's go. We have a busy day and I have a date at six." He exited the chapel to hear a chorus of "awe's" coming from the boys hanging around the front room. Apparently he had said his last statement louder than necessary because everyone heard.

"Well than let's get moving. We don't want to make Sasuke late for his precious hot date," Kiba yelled loudly. Sasuke flipped him off and then moved towards the door. A chorus a laughs met his ears as he was followed out by the other boys. Kiba jogged up behind him and threw an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close as they continued to walk towards their bikes.

"Yah, you know we're just joking. No need to take everything so seriously, old Sas-cakes," he said with a chuckle and pulled his arm so that it wrapped around his neck, putting him in a chokehold.

Sasuke couldn't help but grin at his older friend. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just get your crazy-ass off of me, ya jackass," he muttered with a small laugh.

"Oh, you love me," Kiba muttered before pressing his lips to Sasuke's cheek in a joking manner and letting out an over exaggerated "muh-ah" before quickly releasing him. He scooted away before Sasuke could hit him.

Sasuke glared at him half-heartedly and pointed a finger at him as he continued crossed the remaining few feet to his bike. "You keep away from me, al'ight," he said as he dropped his hand and mounted the bike. The boys mounted their own bikes with the exception of Jiraiya who climbed into a large, black van. Minato mounted his bike next to Sasuke and settled in while revving his engine. Sasuke pulled on a pair of sunglasses and waited until his father pulled out to follow right behind him. Going down the line, the boys zoomed out of the lot, followed closely by their black van. They wove carefully down the street in two rows, keeping close to one another.

It didn't take long for them to reach their first destination. Kabuto lived in a simple house on the edge of town. It was one of the smaller houses in the neighborhood, only one story and with a messed up yard. There was a relatively long driveway that led to a garage behind the house. The gate was open and a quick glance at the garage and they could see someone moving around in there, music drifting out.

They pulled into the driveway, only Sasuke and Minato going all the way up to the garage while the boys hung back by the gate. Sasuke pulled behind his father, letting him take the lead on the trip. His father dismounted and Sasuke dismounted as well but didn't move from his bike, leaning against it. Minato walked a few feet away from his son but kept a safe distance between them, grinning wickedly as a man emerged from the depths of the garage.

Kabuto was a skinny guy, his skin clean of tattoos. His hair was a natural silver color even though he was only in his mid forties and still looked remarkably young. He wore a pair of ugly round glasses and loose clothing over his skinny body. He didn't look like much, but he was a leader of the biggest crank business around. He made a nice chunk of cash dealing drugs and also participating in a prostitution ring on the side for extra cash. He had just got done with serving eight months in prison for a bad drug deal.

"Howdy, old friend, nice to see you on the outside. How's freedom treating you?" Minato said in a tone of false friendship.

Kabuto brushed some sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "Feels nice. I'm enjoying it," the creepy, skinny male muttered in an equally false tone.

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, must be nice to not have to suck some fat, throbbing dicks every night. Finally gives that mouth of yours a much deserved break, right?" Sasuke said with a wicked grin on his face, chewing on toothpick from the fruit earlier.

Kabuto glared at him, losing all sense of camaraderie instantly. His gaze shifted between the father and son and then moved to the boys hanging back in his driveway. He took a deep breath and angrily looked at Sasuke for a long moment, earning a bigger grin from the male, and then looked at Minato. "What do you want?"

Minato gazed at him with the same unchanged friendly expression despite the deadly glare he was receiving. Kabuto's truck was parked halfway out of the garage so Minato moved over to it and kicked the tire almost absentmindedly. He then turned and leaned nonchalantly against the back end of the truck. He kept that smile on his face. "We're here for a friendly visit, is all. You know, say hi, make sure you're settled back in comfortably and give a reminder."

Kabuto glare deepened at his friendly front. "A reminder?"

Sasuke stood to his full height and calmly swaggered over to the skinny silver haired man. He dropped his twisted grin in favor for a serious, even face. He plucked the toothpick out of his mouth and let his hand drop to his side. "You may be out of prison, but it doesn't change the facts of how this town works. Keep your business out of our town and we will leave you alone to make your pretty little profit."

Kabuto stared back at him evenly before he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You know, I heard some rumors in town today. Your last girlfriend was a little crank whore and almost killed your baby boy. That's sad, really it is. It makes me wonder if you are sensitive to my business now. It makes me wonder if my business really is safe with you around."

Sasuke glared at him and stepped closer, menacing leaning in close to his face and then lifting his hands to clutch the front of his baggy shirt. He smirked evilly. "I am a little sensitive, you're right. In fact it's why I hunted down the drug dealer who sold to her and beat him with a pool stick. He now only has one nut flying solo. And if I find anyone dealing in Konoha, I'm going to do the same thing to them and then I'm going to hunt you down and make sure to cut both of ours off. But if you stay out of Konoha, we don't have a problem, now will we?"

Kabuto glared at him dangerously and Minato pushed off of the truck and calmly walked over. He put his hand on the raven's shoulder. "Okay, I'm sure we made our point," he muttered.

Sasuke took a deep breath and released his hold on the drug king. He smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt and pat his chest, looking at Kabuto in the eyes. "Yeah, our friend understands perfectly, right?"

Kabuto glared but nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. Perfectly clear."

Sasuke smirked in satisfaction. "Great," he said and then moved back towards his bike. Minato did the same and they both mounted. He adjusted the strap of his helmet. "So glad we had this chat, darlin'. When your prison friends finally get to see their little bitch again, you say hi for me," he mocked before revving his engine Minato chuckled and then took off, doing a wide loop in his backyard to turn around. Sasuke followed his lead, both of them driving over his grass and marking up his already messed up lawn. The other boys moved out of the way so the two could drive out and head out before the others followed behind them.

Their next destination was a secluded area outside of town. They met up with their gun contact, their suppliers, and did some small talk before taking a look at the shipment. They inspected a few crates before taking a few and shooting off a few rounds at some targets before they were satisfied with the guns. Forking over an envelope of cash, the boys then loaded the crates into the back of the van and headed out to their warehouse.

Their warehouse was situated a fair distance outside of town, disguised as a simple house. The outside was like any other house but the inside was all open space, filled with large shelves and vaults for the guns. Sasuke unlocked the double doors and propped them open while Jiraiya backed up the van straight to the front porch. They unloaded the goods carefully but quickly and then loaded up the shipment for their friends. Sasuke kept glancing at his phone, constantly checking the time to see it dragging closer and closer to six quicker than he thought.

They pulled out quickly and head out to their designated meeting spot. It was a secluded road that no one ever really went down, off the map. Their friends were already there when they arrived. They were a group of four guys on Harley's, all painted a dark green and a van behind them. On the back of their cuts were an evil looking leprechaun thing with the words "LUCKY GREENS" above it. Minato took the lead for the negotiations while Sasuke stood closely beside him, throwing in comments and assisting when he could. In the end, they walked away twenty grand richer and giving Sasuke just enough time to get to the hospital.

"The gun profit has to go through the treasury first, but I'll see if I can get you an advance on your share," Minato said to his son at the stop light on the way into town.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Shut up with that already. Lay off my back. I've got everything covered so mind your own damn business," he snapped back before making an illegal turn at the red light, on his way towards the hospital. Minato watched him go, shaking his head and sighing heavily as the light turned and the rest of the boys continued straight down the road, on the way to the clubhouse.

X X

Sakura sighed and rubbed her shoulder before removing her scrubs and pulling on her regular clothes. She pulled on a plain gray v-cut t-shirt and a pair of tight jeans. She opted for a pair of high heel boots today, tucking her jeans into them. She pulled on a black jacket and threw her green bag over her head to rest on her shoulder, the strap going across her upper body and the bag resting high on her hip. She left her pair laying flat, not wanting to fuss with it.

It had been a pretty good day, but sort of busy. She had done two surgeries that both were successful so she was feeling fairly good about herself. Not to mention she had a date tonight, a first in a long time. She was excited and oddly nervous. She had never been nervous for dates, even blind dates. She wasn't even nervous when she went out with her high school crush and she knows Sasuke better than she knew her crush back then and was way past the giddy, love-struck teenager thing. Why was she so nervous for this date?

She exited the locker room, saying goodbye to her coworkers as she did so, and surprised to see Sasuke sitting in the waiting room. She glanced at her cell phone, seeing that he was early. He was slumped in a chair, his long legs stretched out and staring at the ceiling. He had a phone pressed to his ear, but he didn't seem to be paying much attention to whatever or whoever was on the other end. He was wearing a darker pair of loose jeans, a black pair of sneakers instead of his usual white, a gray long sleeved shirt with his cut over top. He had on a pair of dark black leather gloves and a toothpick sticking out of his mouth loosely.

The pinkette approached him, seeing now that she was closer that he was mouthing "blah, blah, blah" to himself. She smiled, inwardly laughing at how immature it was and finding him increasingly more charming by the second. She lightly kicked his shoe when he didn't notice her presence and he jumped slightly, bringing his phone away and giving her his sexy grin.

"Hey, sweetheart, you out early?" he asked and she nodded.

She was about to ask him what he was doing when he looked back at his phone, the smart phone so she could only assumed it wasn't club business, and huffed. "Oops, I just hung up on my old man," he muttered, staring at his phone and then shrugging and tucking it away. "Oh well, he's been annoying the hell out of me all day." He gave an almost sheepish grin before standing up. Even with her heels she still felt incredibly small compared to him.

"You ready?" he asked and she nodded. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought my bike instead of the Cutlass," he added as an afterthought.

She shrugged. "No problem, it's fine." Inwardly, her stomach fluttered. She had never been on a motorcycle before. She never really knew anyone with a bike before she came to Konoha. She trusted him enough to know that he wasn't going to kill her. She had seen him ride enough to know that he was good at driving it. Still her stomach fluttered and she wasn't quite sure why, maybe it was latent fear of zooming through traffic without protective metal around her or maybe just the thrill of riding on the dangerous side, intentionally, for once.

They walked out of the hospital together at a slow pace. Some of her female co-workers were eyeing her enviously when they spotted Sasuke while other opted just to glare at her. Sasuke himself seemed to just be oblivious to it all, head held high as he walked down the hallways with his swagger as if he owned the place. He took her hand in his while they were in the elevator and didn't let go until they reached his black Harley.

He climbed on first, adjusting his gloves while she shifted behind him to seat herself. He guided her legs into the right place and then handed her his helmet, his only one apparently. She put up a small protest when she realized this fact but he waved her off. It was the "gentlemen-like" thing to do and he was raised to be a gentleman. Sakura's fight ended there, though she still did feel bad but was sort of flattered none the less.

He guided her arms around his waist once the helmet was secured. "Hold on tight, darlin," he said to her before the metal beneath her rumbled to life and was then being expertly driven down the road.

She didn't know how to describe it. She had thought being on a bike was going to be like one thing, but it was completely different than what she expected. It was absolutely terrifying. She felt so open to the elements, feeling the wind rush past her with such a force. The air felt cold against her body, hitting her face and whipping the hair that stuck out of the helmet around. She felt that if she let go of Sasuke that she would fall off, though a part of her knew that wasn't true.

At the same time she had never felt more exhilarated. She felt like she was walking on the dangerous side for once in her life. Her heart was pounding, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She felt as if she was tittering on the edge, like she could be hurt but was also so safe with Sasuke. It left her feeling invincible, more alive than she had ever felt before.

Sasuke took them to a quiet restaurant in town. It wasn't the more popular ones on Main Street but had enough business to keep afloat. Sasuke parked in front and then guided her towards the door. "This is my favorite restaurant. Fantastic food and it's less popular so there it's just a more peaceful environment," he muttered as they entered and then were immediately escorted to a booth in the back corner. There weren't a lot of other diners and they were pretty much seated in the opposite end of the restaurant so they were able to have a private dinner.

The waitress that served them was a nice teenager, so smiled and expressed how her parents missed Sasuke when he was away. She got their drink orders and then quickly came back. While she took down their orders she chatted with the male about the family. From what Sakura could gather, her brother went to school with Sasuke and that's how she knew him.

When she left with their orders, Sakura looked at her date imploringly. He shrugged nonchalantly. "When you grow up in a small town like this, everyone knows everyone. It's hard to keep to yourself."

Sakura nodded and sipped her drink. Sasuke leaned against the table. "You know, you keep to yourself pretty well. I don't know much about you, at all. You know more about me than most people."

Sakura scoffed at that but then smiled. She shrugged. "I'm nothing special. I've lived in the city all my life. It was just me, my brother and my mother most of my childhood. I'm really close to both of them. They call about every week to check up on me."

"No father?" Sasuke asked, though he already knew from his mother that her parents were divorced.

She shook her head. "Nope. My parents divorced when I was young and he left. He sent cards every birthday until I turned eighteen but that's that last I've heard from him. He has a replacement family now, I think. Remarried to some younger woman or something and had three more kids I never met."

Sasuke brushed some hair out of his face. "My world is all about family that I can't imagine not having a father and never meeting my siblings."

Sakura shrugged. "It used to bother me, but not anymore. I've gotten so used to it that it just doesn't bother me anymore. I mean, I've always secretly dreamed about a big, happy family but it was just that, silly notions of a seven year old girl."

Sasuke frowned. "Well who's to say you can't have that now? Here in Konoha everything is about family. Especially the club. We're like one big, dysfunctional family. Once you are let in, you're in the family. Maybe moving to Konoha is Fate's way of saying you can finally have your big family."

Sakura gave a small smile and looked him in the eyes before her attention was pulled away when their food came. They chatted about unimportant, flirtatious topics while they first started their meal. True to Sasuke's word, the food was delicious. The two ended up picking off each other's plate, sharing the different meals.

"Tell me about your Mom and brother," Sasuke said as he reached over to pick a tomato slice off her plate.

Sakura smiled. "Well my mom was a school teacher so money wasn't the best in the house. I had to get scholarships to pay for my schooling. But my mother was always great with kids, so growing up with her was pretty cool. She was somewhat of a scatterbrain and acted more like a friend than a parent. It was cool growing up with her, I was lucky."

She chewed on her food and then reached over to steal some from Sasuke's plate. He moved out of the way so she could reach her desired bit she wanted. "My brother, Ren, he was the authority figure in the house. He was tough on me because he loved me and sometimes acted like my father instead of my brother. He was a little overprotective, so I learned quickly to keep my love life completely concealed from him. He's all bark and no bite, but it was easier to hid it from him than deal with his bitching. He didn't approve of any of my boyfriends. He's an architect now and still lives in the city. I'm still close to him."

"You had many boyfriends?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask.

She shook her head. "No. Only one boyfriend in high school and one or two casual ones while I was doing the rest of my schooling. I had one sort of serious relationship about six months ago and it ended badly and I've been single since." Sasuke was careful to listen to her tone as she spoke. She faltered a little during the last part but tried to cover it up.

"How did it end badly?"

She was silent for a moment, chewing her lip. She was avoiding eye contact with him, as if she was afraid. The table was small so he reached over the table and gently gripped her hands in his, turning it over and using his thumb to rub her hand soothingly. She looked up in surprise and then took a deep breath and squeezed his hand.

She took a shaky breath and then looked at him. "He got possessive and hurt me once so I ended it. He started stalking me after that and I had to get a restraining order to get away."

Sasuke squeezed her hand and let out a whistle. He shook his head. "Damn, that's some heavy shit. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. You're safe now. You're in Konoha, my turf and nothing like that is going to happen again, I can promise you that."

Sakura smiled, the safe feeling returning to her quickly. She didn't doubt his words. She had a feeling that as long as she had him by her side that she would be taken care of. Even if on some odd chance that creep happened to find her, she knew that he couldn't touch her with Sasuke around.

"Tell me about you family," she said, changing the subject.

He shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

She picked up her fork and continued her eating. She chewed thoughtfully and then swallowed. "It's an unconventional family to be sure. How does it all work?"

Sasuke ran a hand through his dark raven locks. He took a sip of his drink and then began. "Well my biological parents married and had Itachi first. My mother comes from a family that had a genetic heart condition. She had it and there was a one out of a hundred chance that Itachi wouldn't have it. He was the lucky one and was born with a perfectly healthy heart.

"I was born five years later, less fortunate because I have the condition. I had to have a heart surgery when I was a few months old and have been on some sort of medication all my life. It was hard on my parents for me to be sick. My father started straying from my mother, found Tsunade and started seeing her. By chance my father got my mother pregnant again and a little more than a year after me, my brother Obito was born.

"My mother died shortly after, I was only two so I don't even remember her. All I've ever known was Tsunade, she raised me. She stepped in to help out my father as soon as my mother died. They married when I was three. Obito had the same heart condition and died when I was five. Apparently my father was so broken up about it that he went into a drunken stupor for a few weeks and then just left one day, leaving without his bike and taking only the clothes on his back and the liquor in his hand. I can't remember his face anymore. Too be honest, I think I blocked him out.

"Minato and my father were always close so he was always like my other father figure. Naruto and I grew up together as best friends and then we were suddenly brothers when Minato stepped in to help my Mom with me and Itachi. They married when I was seven. We've been a family ever since." He finished with a shrug, as if it was the most conventional story ever.

Sakura was silent for a moment, digesting it all. It certainly explained the unconventional family, though it was so much more complicated than she had originally thought. She stared at him questioningly. "What do you mean you blocked out your father?"

Sasuke shrugged and then licked his bottom lip. "He's always been the bad guy in my story. I mean, I love my old man and I wouldn't have it any other way, but I'll admit that I'm angry that my biological father just ran off. Everyone compares him to me because apparently I'm his mini-me or something and it just pisses me off. I don't remember anything about him, even though I can remember Mom from when she was still together with him. I've just blocked him out and yet he always finds a way to rear his ugly head again."

The air was getting tenser between them, Sasuke's bad vibes affecting them both. Sakura quickly spoke to lighten the mood. "So you're a Momma's boy with Daddy issues. Nice."

Sasuke snorted. "Don't make fun of me."

The two continued to have a nice dinner, focusing on lighter topics until they were ready to leave. Sakura didn't hesitate to climb onto the bike, wrapping herself around Sasuke's strong body. He radiated warmth in a soothing manner but not enough to make her too warm. His hands, she noticed, was usually icy. He brushed his hand over her linked ones resting on his stomach before he pulled on a pair of black gloves. She settled her head on his shoulder as he started the engine and effortlessly maneuvered them down the street.

The drive home was almost too short and they were suddenly pulling up into the driveway. Sakura slowly unlatched herself while Sasuke kicked out the kick stand. Sakura climbed off and removed the helmet, handing it back to Sasuke who simply hung it on the handlebar.

"Where's Aiden?" Sakura asked while Sasuke leaned casually against his bike, reaching out to gently link their hands.

"Hinata has him. She and Naruto should be coming over any minute to drop him off." Sakura nodded and leaned into him, stepping so that she was standing between his open legs. She stared down at their linked hands, toying with each other's fingers. They stood there for an unknown amount of time, silent and content in each other's presence.

Sakura heaved a sigh. "I have early rounds tomorrow," she said dejectedly.

Sasuke nodded and stood up to his full height when Sakura backed up to give him room. Keeping their hands linked, they slowly walked across the street. Sakura had gotten a ride to work from a coworker so her car was in the driveway as they passed by it. They climbed the porch in silence and Sasuke quickly opened her front door for her and flicked on the light as ritual dictated.

Sakura smiled up at him. "I get off work at nine tomorrow. The Beetle is acting a little funny, do you mind giving me a ride home?"

Sasuke nodded. "No problem, darlin'. I can take a look at it for you, if you want. I'll take it down to the shop when you're at work; I've been meaning to look at it for awhile."

Sakura felt her chest tighten at the last part, a warm sensation settling in. It had been awhile since someone looked out for her. It felt good. She squeezed his hand and nodded. "I would appreciate that. You think it will cost much?"

He shrugged. "Can't be sure until I look at it but I can cut you a deal and get the price down as much as I can. That is if it's in good enough condition that I can even safe it."

Sakura nodded understandingly. "Just do what you can, I guess." She took her keys from the door and detached her car key from the key ring. She handed it to him and flashed him her winning smile before thanking him again. He shrugged it off. "No, I mean it, thanks. And I really enjoyed himself tonight," she said, feeling lame for using the overused line.

He laughed once at that and replied in an agreeing manner. He brought his hand up and brushed it over her cheek gently. Unconsciously, she leaned into the touch while her delicate hands came up to grip his cut. The leather felt cool under her grip and she gripped it tightly as her head started to spin. Sasuke was leaning closer to her, coming closer and closer to her lips and he was doing it so slowly that the anticipation was getting to her and she was finding it harder to breathe.

She stood on her toes trying to get him closer to her while she pressed her front to his. Tauntingly, he brushed his lips over hers so quickly and lightly it couldn't be considered a kiss. Sakura let out an indignant sound before she could catch herself which resulted in a chuckle from him before he finally pressed his lips to hers.

The same intense sensations immediately shocked both of their systems and they quickly lost control. Their lips meshed in a perfect and feverish manner. Sakura's one hand dragged up slowly, trailing her fingers over his thin shirt just so she could feel him shudder, before it wrapped around his neck while her other stayed locked on his cut. Sasuke's arms moved to wrap around her in a firm but gentle fold so that her small form was pressed flat against his. Wanting her closer, he lifted her up to bring her to a more even level with himself. Sakura didn't seem to notice that her feet were now dangling off the ground as she felt a tongue press against her closed lips, asking for entrance.

She gladly opened her mouth to the foreign muscle and it wetly slipped into her mouth and found her own. An intricate dance of tongue started then, leaving both pleasantly flushed, warm, tingling all over and enjoying the electric jolts coursing through their bodies and pooling in their stomachs. Sakura tightened her grip around his neck with a shaking arm, finding herself oddly trembling from the onslaught of sudden intense sensations.

Both didn't notice the loud rumbling of a motorcycle until it was literally right there and Naruto's loud voice pierced the previously quiet night. "Whooo! Yeah, get some!" he shouted extremely inappropriately considering what he was referring to as well as the fact that it was night and could possible disturb the neighbors.

The two broke apart and Sasuke lowered Sakura to the ground but kept her in his grip. Both looked to see that Hinata had pulled up in the Cutlass and was leaning over to get Aiden out from the backseat. Naruto was parked in the street right in front of the house. He was making kissy faces at them and smiling teasingly. Sakura blushed at this while Sasuke didn't seem fazed.

He looked back at her in almost exasperation before giving her his sexy grin. "I'm going to kill that brother of mine one day," he said while shaking his head. He then fixed his gaze on her and all annoyance as gone from his face. "I'll let you get to bed now," he said before he gave her another kiss. It was a chaste one, but still it left Sakura whirling.

He let her out of his hold and trailed his hand down her arm until it reached her hand. He was already moving away so he gently let her hand slip while he kept his gaze on her face and grinned, walking backwards.

"Kiss Aiden for me," Sakura said and Sasuke replied that he would. He then turned to face the front and walked over to his brother, who was waving like an idiot to the pinkette. She smiled softly and waved back before looking to Hinata who had just gotten Aiden out of the car. Aiden seemed to be sleeping and Hinata stared down at him lovingly for a moment before looking up to meet her gaze. She gave a timid smile in greeting to the pinkette and nodded her head once since her arms were full. Sakura greeted her back before started to turn towards her door.

However, something stopped her. Her gaze fell on her car by chance as she turned and she froze when she saw flower petals sitting on the windshield. She took a step towards the edge of her porch and looked closer, realizing after a moment that they were rose petals in different colors. Her heart jolted and fear ran down her spine like a bucket of cold water, remembering the last time she had seen similar white, pink and red petals.

Suddenly she couldn't get in the house fast enough.

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><p><strong>Review please?<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Gah! I hate school! it's such a time suck!**

**I'm sorry i've been MIA for so long. This has been my life. School, school, food, school, school, sleep, school, food, school, school, food, school, school, sleep. As you can see, not a lot of time to write. I have four essays to work on and i sat down with the intention to at least start one today and ended up writing this instead. Yah me.**

**So there is no editing done to this chapter and it probably sucks but at least i got it out. Enjoy my sucky chapter.**

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

The Reveal

Sakura awoke from a long sleepless night where every creak in the old house caused her to jump up. By the time her coworker picked her up and drove her to work, she already knew she was going to have one hell of a day. She was going to be in surgery all day, on her feet, with lives depending on her. She was going to need a lot of caffeine today.

The hours dragged by slowly and she was able to get a two fifteen minute naps in between her surgeries but the brief periods of rest did nothing more her. In a way, it felt more like a tease than refreshing. To make matters worse, her last surgery ran late because of a few complications and by the time she got out it was already almost ten forty five. She had to send an intern out to the waiting room three times to apologize to Sasuke, who had actually gotten there early to pick her up.

She exited the OR and rubbed her neck achingly before she scrubbed out. She removed her surgical cap and mask while the intern next to her dried her hands. "Yumi, do you mind going out to the waiting room and informing the man that I'm just going to change and I'll be done?" she asked and then thanked the girl when she said she would. The intern exited and left the resident alone, who sighed in exhaustion and continued to wash her hands.

Sasuke bounced Aiden in his lap, who was softly giggling and cooing up at his father. A few other visitors were seated in the small waiting room with him. Everyone looked calm so Sasuke took this as a sign that no one was dying at the moment. A group of three woman were seated a few chairs away from him, watching him with awed eyes as he played with his son.

Sasuke only dimly noticed as a man came and sat across from him, a few feet in front of him. Sasuke ignored him for the most part until he felt someone's stare on him besides the three women. He looked up to see a man in a suit smiling kindly at him. He was sitting in a relaxed manner, his suit jacket off and folded haphazardly on the chair next to him. He looked to be around Sasuke's age, with gray eyes and a relatively handsome face. His hair was odd; hanging around his face and styled in a cut that would be considered fashionable, though oddly colored. His hair was obviously bleached blonde, though he had a strange black streak slightly off-centered and more towards the left of her head. He looked like he put a lot of effort into his looks, which was the opposite of Sasuke who barely even bothered to comb his hair or find clothes that fit him properly. (In truth, Sasuke's wardrobe was a lot of handy-down crap from his brothers. It was the reason he had so much Akatsuki clothes, his brothers gave them to him when they outgrew it themselves. Sasuke wears it whether it's baggy or not on his small frame). The man was smiling kindly, but there was something that put Sasuke on edge about him.

"Cute kid," the man muttered in a smooth voice. "Looks just like you. How old is he?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment, just a beat. "Six months," he said calmly.

The man nodded, keeping his eyes on Aiden in his arms who had yet to stop laughing and cooing. Sasuke stared at the man evenly before turning his attention when he saw the intern that Sakura had been using shamelessly as a messenger approach him. She smiled at him shyly, removing a scrub cap from her hair and blushing as she looked at him. "Excuse me, but Dr. Haruno wanted me to inform you that she was out of surgery now and is now changing. She should be out soon."

Sasuke nodded and thanked the obviously smitten girl, who blushed and quickly ran off. The man in front of him took a loud, deep breath which drew the raven's attention. He stood and grabbed his jacket and quickly shrugged into it. He smiled at him in that same kind fashion and gestured towards Aiden. "Really cute kid," he said before he walked away, leaving an edgy and baffled father.

Sasuke shook his head and stared down at his son, continuing to bounce him. He didn't have to wait long for Sakura to come out into the waiting room, looking like she had one hell of a day. Just one look at her and he could see that she was exhausted. She looked like she might just drop dead right there. She slowly made his way over to him and then stopped so that she was towering over him. He thought about asking if she was alright but thought better of it and instead stood up carefully with Aiden in his arms.

Shifting Aiden into his one arm, he brought the other one up to fist her hair. Grabbing her hair the way he did made her head tilt up to look up at him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, knowing she needed a pick-me-up. She didn't lift a finger to pull him closer like she normally did but she kissed him back. The kiss sent the usually jolts through her body and automatically the world didn't seem so bad anymore.

Sasuke pulled away and smoothed out her hair before releasing her. He bent forward awkwardly to grab the diaper bag from the floor, which Sakura quickly took from him. She threw it over her shoulder, and then grabbed his free hand. He gave her his sexy grin and then leaned forward to kiss the top of her head before leading her out of the hospital.

The Cutlass was parked towards to front of the parking lot so she quickly climbed in while Sasuke strapped Aiden in. He moved the seat back into place before he climbed behind the wheel. He glanced at Sakura once, seeing her with her head back against the headrest with eyes closed. He turned the keys in the ignition and effortlessly drove them home.

He could tell she wasn't asleep when they pulled up at home. As soon as he shut the car off she was stretching and then opening the door. Sasuke climbed out and then pulled his son out as quickly as he could. Sakura was waiting for him so when he pulled out the baby he cradled him to his chest and started for the pinkette's house. Sakura was right with him and together they entered her house.

Sakura went to the bedroom first, while Sasuke sat Aiden down on the couch before moving to investigate her fridge. Sakura pulled her hair into a ponytail after laying her things down. She paused, however, when she noticed something sitting on her nightstand. There was a large manila envelope sitting there, as well as more flower petals. Her body froze, locked in place. She hadn't been the one to put that there.

_He_ had gotten in. Outside her house was one thing, but to enter her house was another. He was in her bedroom. He wasn't even supposed to be near her. He was supposed to be in the city. He wasn't supposed to be in Konoha and even more so her bedroom.

"You have nothing in your fridge. I have a feeling you haven't eaten dinner so do you want to go to my house? I'll cook you dinner and we can watch a movie or something," she dimly heard Sasuke call from down the hall.

Sakura looked around the room quickly, looking for signs that _he_ was still there. She took comfort in the fact that Sasuke had actually come home with her. If she was alone, who knows what would happen. If he was still in the house, he wasn't dumb enough to step out in the open. He could over power her, but not Sasuke. She would scream and Sasuke would be there in a second.

She whirled around and grabbed a large bag that was sitting in the corner and stuffed some clothes in there. She had a makeup bag in the bathroom so she quickly ran in there and filled it with all the toiletries she would need. Sasuke called her name in a questioning tone, probably wondering if the reason she hadn't answered him was because she had fallen asleep. She cleared her throat and tried to keep her voice normal. "Y-yeah, sure. J-just give me a few minutes," she called back. She stuffed her makeup bag to the brim and was quickly back in the bedroom.

She found another bag and filled it with more clothes. She looked around the room, wondering what else she would need. Her eyes landed on the envelope and she slowly made her way over it. With shaky hands, she reached out and grabbed it, spilling rose petals to the floor as she did so. It was light and she moved her hands over it and she felt maybe paper inside. There didn't seem to be anything else in there, but she couldn't be sure until she opened it. Hesitantly, she put that in her bag as well and then shoved a few pairs of shoes on top of it before she forgot as well as her makeup bag.

She shouldered her two bags and then grabbed her purse before she bounded down the hall. She found Sasuke in the living room with Aiden. He looked up when he heard her coming, and surprise filtered across his face without even trying to suppress it when he saw her. His face scrunched in confusion and concern. "What's with the bags? You moving in?"

She shrugged. "I'm dead tired so I'll probably fall asleep at your house. I just wanted to be prepared in the morning."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, because your house is so far it would be so troublesome in the morning," he muttered staring at her suspiciously. She hobbled towards the door, weighed down by her baggage. He sighed and stood up. "Put those bags down before you hurt yourself. You carry Aiden and I'll carry your closet."

Sakura didn't even comment on his sarcastic remark and just dropped her bags unceremoniously. She reached for Aiden with care and then cradled him to her chest while Sasuke gathered her things. They locked up and then moved across the street, all the while Sakura mentally reminding herself to change those old locks. She always knew they were going to be trouble for her, easily allowing _him_ to break into her house without leaving a trace.

Sakura locked the door as soon as they entered the house. Sasuke remarked that he was going to put her bags in the bedroom and then disappeared down the hall. Sakura stood for a moment before she went to the nursery. Aiden was already starting to get fussy so she changed him into pajamas and laid him down for bed. When she was finished, she tucked him in and then turned to leave. She was surprised to find Sasuke standing in the doorway watching her.

She smiled and exited the nursery, closing the door softly behind her. Sasuke leaned against the hallway wall, staring at her. He brushed his hand lightly over her cheek. "What's up? Why the sudden need to have your closet over here? You have this strange look in your eyes." She could see that he was concerned and even more suspicious of her. It must be a good sign that she was controlling herself better than she thought. He was suspicious now. If he knew how scared she was, he would be more concerned.

She hesitated. "Can we eat first? I promise I'll explain later, but I really need some food." In truth, she just really needed to get her head on straight. She needed some time to calm her nerves and think things through. She could do that now. In the safety of Sasuke house, in his presence, she could calm down and think. She needed to think.

He nodded and held out her hand to her. She hesitated. "I'm going to wash my face and then I'll join you."

He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning and heading towards the kitchen. "How's pasta sound?" he asked as he moved.

"Great," she muttered as she watched him disappear from sight. She took a calming breath and went into the bedroom to grab her makeup bag. She grabbed it and then paused, seeing the envelope peeking out from underneath her shoes. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Sasuke wasn't standing behind her, before she grabbed it and tucked it under her arm. With the bag in hand, she rushed to the bathroom where she closed the door silently after her.

She set her bag down on the edge of the sink and then leaned against the closet door. She stared at the opposite wall for a long time before she looked down at the large envelop in her hands. Slowly she flipped it over and lifted the tab that closed it. Sticking her hand in, she grabbed what felt like a stack of paper and pulled it out. White greeted her eyes and she quickly flipped it over, seeing a sticky note.

_July 24, past midnight_, it said in familiar handwriting.

She lifted the note off of it and stared down at the paper underneath. It was a picture, the size of a normal sheet of paper. It was dark, and it took a moment for her to realize what it was but it made her heart stutter. It was a picture of her and Sasuke, outside her house. It was right after the club dinner, she realized, and they were kissing on the porch. Her head whirled, realizing that her crazy stalker ex had seen her kissing her new guy. He probably wasn't too happy.

She quickly flipped to next page. This one had another sticky note, yesterdays date on it as well but with a different time. It was a picture of Sasuke and Minato. Minato was leaning against a truck in the corner of the picture while Sasuke stood in another man's face. He had an intense expression on his face and his fists clenched in the man's shirt. He was threatening the strange man, that much was clear.

She flipped to the next one, a later time. It was of Sasuke and the boys looking at some guns. Sasuke was examining the gun in his hand, Naurto next to him firing it at something out of the frame of the picture. A few of the other boys, Shikamaru and someone else she couldn't tell who it was because it was cut off, were standing around loading some rifles.

She looked quickly through the next few. Most of them were from yesterday, before five when he went to pick her up for their date. Some pictures of Sasuke and the boys at some house in the woods or something loading crates into a black van, him shaking hands with strangers, one of him thumbing through an envelope full of money, him with the boys riding through town. The last few pictures had today's date on it. Sasuke was sitting in her car with the door open and bent over the wheel, another hooking up the car to the auto shop's tow truck while Naruto leaned against her car laughing, him at the shop bent over her engine in the shop's uniform and without his cut for once, another of him leaning in the window of Tsunade's car looking like he had worked a full shift because he was covered in grease and oil.

Sakura looked away from the pictures, feeling sick to her stomach. It was clear he was trying to make a point. He was trailing them, trailing Sasuke. She didn't know what he hoped to accomplish with some of the pictures. Maybe he was hoping she didn't know he was involved in illegal activity and wanted to scare her. Or maybe he was just trying to make it clear that he was here and he knew her weakness.

Underneath the pictures was a sheet of paper. In the upper corner a small wallet sized picture was paper-clipped to the sheet. The picture was of Sasuke, only his head and a little of his shoulders. He looked angry, his hair slightly more mussed than it usually was. His head was slightly tilted up and he had a determined, almost muted murderous look in his eyes. He was wearing orange, she noted dimly and then realized with a start that it was his mug shot. She looked at the sheet underneath, skimming over the contents to find that it was his criminal record. He had some minor arrests as a teen, mostly disorderly conduct, public intoxication, or a minor in possession. All the charges had been dropped except one; he was charged with the aggravated assault against an officer and possession of a deadly weapon. He was put away for five years at the age of eighteen.

Her fingers brushed against something else. She turned the sheet over and was surprised to see another sticky note. '_Do you really think that he's the kind of guy you want in your life_' it said.

Sakura felt tears gather in her eyes and she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. A quiet knock filled the room and she jumped, remembering that Sasuke was still waiting for her. She heard him call her name right outside the door and she quickly put the papers back in the envelope. She turned on the sink and splashed her face.

"Just a minute," she called back. She quickly pulled her hair out of her face and into a ponytail, splashing her face again.

"You okay?" she heard him ask through the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute," she said quickly.

Her mind was swirling. He had gone to jail and hadn't even told her. She sort of knew that he did illegal stuff. He had never told her flat out what he and the club did, but he had told her that he did some stuff that was very frowned upon by the law. But she hadn't known. It obviously had to do with guns and who knew what were in those crates. And the jail thing, it wasn't like he went way for something minor. He assaulted a police officer and who knew what weapon he had on him at the time. It was a scary thing to consider.

But at the same time she still couldn't help the feeling of utter safety he brought to her.

Another knock sounded on the door and Sakura looked to be sure that the envelope was safely tucked out of sight before she called that the door was open. She quickly dug out her facial scrub and applied some to her face as the door opened quietly behind her. She looked at his reflection in the mirror, meeting his gaze momentarily. She stared back trying to keep her face controlled and then tried to smile to reassure him. Somehow he must have seen through her.

"Okay, I'm not going to wait until after you eat. In the club, relationships only work two ways. You either tell your old lady everything or you don't tell her anything at all, no middle gray area. For this relationship you need to decide which way we are going to go and you need to decide right now. But either way, it works both ways and has to have equal trust." He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms stubbornly.

Sakura stared at his reflection and then slowly turned to grab a towel he had hanging on a towel rack. "What did you do yesterday?" she asked suddenly, wondering if he would really tell the truth.

He was silent for a long moment and Sakura turned to face him. His lips were pressed into a thin line and for a moment she thought he wasn't going to tell her. "The truth?" he asked and she nodded in return.

He took a deep breath and then glanced at Aiden's bedroom door before stepping farther into the room and closing the door softly. He leaned against the door. "The club is part of an illegal gun running chain. We have connections with some guys from Mist who supply us with guns and we sell them illegally for a profit. Yesterday we met up with our connection for a new shipment and sold another MC a shipment. When I say I have club business it mostly means that I'm doing something illegal that is related to guns, blood and money."

Sakura swallowed and took a shaky breath. She wrung her hands through the towel she was still holding, staring down at her hands in order to hide from his gaze. "You've been to prison." It wasn't a question but still she sort of wanted him to confirm it like it was a question.

She heard he heave a large sigh that sounded sort of like a disgruntled groan. She looked at quickly to see that both hands were over his face, rubbing it. Slowly he dragged his hands down, slowly uncovering his eyes and landing on his mouth my a few moments, his dark eyes meeting hers. She could feel herself shaking slightly and he must have seen to because he took a step back as if to give her room. She knew she should have been afraid of him, and he was giving her room because he thought was she, but she found that she was oddly more afraid of what she didn't knew about him. She wanted to know the whole truth, everything about him so nothing like this could surprise her again. She needed to know all of him if she was going to be sure if she could do this.

He nodded. "Yeah, when I was eighteen and was young, rash and stupid. Some cops raided the clubhouse under a false lead looking for drugs that we didn't have. They were being extremely rough with us, pushing us to the ground including my Ma who happened to be standing there. A guy pushed my Ma too hard and she cried out, so my old man started cussing them out. Without warning, a cop slugged my old man in the jaw with the butt of his gun.

"I don't know what came over me. I didn't think and just reacted. I tackled the stupid son of a bitch that hit my old man. I slugged him once and then one of his stupid buddies shot me in the calf in order to get me off of him. I was arrested, charged with assault against an officer and possession of a weapon because I had this on me at the time," he said, pointing to his knife sitting strapped to his belt. "I was sentenced to five years but I got out after two and half years because of good behavior."

Sakura looked down, digesting the information. She was having troubles wrapping her mind around everything. She was still shaking, her emotions wreaking havoc on her usually steady form. It was overwhelming. She wanted to run away from him but she also wanted to find comfort in the safety of his strong arms. Instead she opted for looking at him and voicing only one of her concerns. "You didn't tell me."

He sighed. "It's not really first date material. I've been waiting for a good time but I guess you have decided that now's the perfect time for this conversation. So I'm telling you now."

A silence fell over them and Sasuke was the one to break it. "What's going on?" he asked and received no answer from her. After a moment he prompted her further. "The truth, I gave you the truth and I all I ask in return that you do that same for me."

Sakura looked at his determined face and then sat down on the floor, leaning back against the closet door. She wiped her eyes that had started to mist over again. She sniffed and leaned her head down into her hand. "I'm so scared, Sasuke," she mumbled.

Sasuke must have thought she was still afraid of him because he made no move to approach her like she thought he would. She looked up at him as her tears finally leaked out of her eyes and streaked down her cheek. "The night that my ex hurt me he had planned a romantic night and sprinkled the entire apartment with white, pink and red rose petals."

Slowly he advanced toward her until he was leaning against the sink. He gave her an impatient look, clearly wondering why such a comment was irrelevant to the current situation. She wiped at the tears streaking down her cheek and dug out the envelope which she threw towards him. "Last night I found rose petals sitting on my car's windshield. Tonight I found them sitting on nightstand with that envelope."

Wordlessly, he opened the envelope and briefly scanned the contents. He was shaking his head, a look of growing frustration mounting on his face. His body was no longer relaxed but instead tense. He took a deep breath and then slowly sat down in front of her, rubbing a hand down his face. "Damn it, we've been careless," he muttered to himself.

Sakura chocked on a sob and Sasuke looked up at her and slowly moved to sit next to her. She leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her. He held her tightly and the warm feeling of safety invaded her senses. Without warning the tears can quickly and without hope of being controlled. She clutched at his shirt, noticing dimly that he had removed his cut at some point after they got home.

They sat there for a long time until Sakura's tears dried. Sasuke lifted a hand and run it through her hair, fisting it like he always did. He kissed the top of her head and then stared at the pictures, now sitting in front of them on the floor. "Who the hell is this guy?" he asked to himself more than he asked her.

Still, Sakura thought she should answer. "He's a cop, an ATF agent to be technical. I had to go to three precincts before one would give me a restraining order. His name is Yusuke."

She felt his body tense next to her and she looked up at him. "What?" she asked.

He blinked at her. "Did you say ATF?" She nodded dumbly and he cursed loudly. He pulled at his hair and let out a deep breath slowly before letting out another curse. He stared at the shower in front of them for a moment before he detangled himself from her grip. "I need a cigarette," he muttered and then exited the bathroom. Sakura sat there in confusion for a long moment before she slowly followed him out.

She found him in the kitchen, sitting on the step to the backdoor. Half of his body was outside while the other half was inside, dropped carelessly on the ground as if he was too tired to even sit properly. A cigarette dangled between his two fingers, sending wisps of smoke into the night air. He lifted it and brought it to his lips, taking a nice long drag.

"What's wrong?" she asked him and he looked at her lazily.

"Do you know what ATF stand for?" She shook her head. All she knew was that Yusuke was an agent of some sort but she never really paid attention to his job specifics. Sasuke heaved a tired sigh, seeming to be bothered by something. "Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The club deals in firearms. This guy has pictures of me and the club dealing guns illegally. The club can't afford to have an ATF agent on our asses. He has the evidence and authority to lock us all away."

There was a lingering silence as his words sunk in for both of them. Sasuke heaved another sigh before taking a long drag on his cigarette, holding in the bitter smoke for as long as he could and then releasing it slowly. Sakura leaned against the kitchen counter and held her head in her palm, trying to get a better hold on herself. She was tired of being weak. She didn't want to fall apart anymore.

"I'm sorry Sasuke," she finally muttered with her eyes closed tightly.

Sasuke took a deep breath and was silent for a few long minutes. He stared into the dark backyard, ignoring Sakura's presence and focusing his thoughts. He pressed his lips into a thin line before taking another drag. He nodded his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll handle it, I'll figure something out. I always do." He nodded in resolution and then put out his cigarette on the cement. He stood and dug in his pocket to pull out his prepay. It was a different one than the last one Sakura had seen, she noticed.

He waited on the line for a minute before he spoke. "Yeah, Dad, we need to have church in the morning, it's important. Call me in the morning."

He snapped the phone closed and then dug out his other phone. "What time do you have to go into work tomorrow?" he asked while looking at his phone rather than her.

"Five," she answered quickly.

He nodded and lifted the phone to his ear. She could hear a ringing followed by a voice greeting him. "Yo, Prospect, I have a job for you. I want you at my house at four thirty in the morning, no ifs, and, or buts. Bring a car," he barked before he hung up without giving "Prospect" a chance to speak.

He looked at her calmly. "I'm going to figure this out so you don't have to worry about a thing. But until then, I don't want you to be alone for a second. Konohamaru can drive you to work tomorrow and I'll pick you up. Just do me a favor and try to have at least one doctor or patient with you at all times. I doubt he will just show up to your work but it will make me feel better if you promise to play it safe."

Sakura nodded, since he had spoken in a tone that left no room for argument. She leaned against the counter, choosing to look down at her feet. They were both silent for a long time, each in the own thoughts. After a long moment more Sasuke slowly made his way over to her. He gently leaned his body against hers, careful not to add too much weight. He cradled her head in between his large, skinny hands, moving her head up so that he could look her in the eyes.

"You don't have to worry with me around," he promised.

The pinkette smiled softly and almost hesitantly. It was hard not to feel so completely and utterly safe when she was within his grip. His criminal history be damned, she never felt safer than with him. When his soft lips pressed against her forehead her head spun and she blindly moved her head, searching for his lips with hers. He granted her wish and their lips met in a simple kiss that expressed more than such a kiss had with their past lovers.

When they released each other from the kiss Sasuke's arms wrapped around her smaller form, holding her tightly to his lean form. She pressed her face into his chest, she arms around his waist.

"You're probably not hungry, right?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not really."

Sasuke nodded. "I thought so," he said while he gently set her go. He went into the cabinet and grabbed some Tupperware and quickly put away the food. He didn't bother cleaning the rest of the kitchen and instead led Sakura out to the living room. He flopped on the couch, pulling her down with him so she was practically sprawled across him. Sakura flushed momentarily before she calmed and settled down into a comfortable position with his steady heart humming in her ear.

"I have some bad news," Sasuke whispered suddenly. Sakura, feeling exhaustion quickly sneaking up on her, hummed in response. A hand reached up and fisted her hair gently, a now comforting signature of Sasuke's affection.

"I did everything I could but I couldn't save your car. It died for good."

Sakura squeezed her hands shut around his shirt. "But you're a mechanic. Can't you fix it?"

Sakura felt Sasuke move and since she was too comfy to look, she assumed he had shaken his head. "I would have to replace almost everything, practically start from scratch. It would cost you a fortune, not charging for labor. Way more than the car is worth."

Sakura sighed in defeat and then settled deeper into Sasuke's warm embrace. "Damn. I liked that car."

"Sorry, darlin," he muttered.

Just as sleep was about to claim the pinkette, she was shook awake by the raven male. He pulled them off the couch and led her into the bedroom where Sakura quickly jumped onto the bed. Sasuke shook his head and opened her bag. "Where are your pajamas?"

Sakura grunted as a response and after a few moments of fruitless digging Sasuke sighed and quickly pushed the bag away. He went to his dresser and grabbed her one of his Reaper shirts and then a pair of boxers. He tossed them at her, wanting her to change before she fell asleep.

Sakura groaned and sat up. Sasuke turned around, busing himself with removing his rings slowly and silently debated whether or not he wanted to take off his necklace, deciding not to. Sakura pulled her shirt over her head and pulled on the large black shirt that engulfed her small frame. The shirt reached her mid-thigh, she noted, so she removed her pants quickly and then settled back into the bed without the boxers on. Her red panties would be good enough for the night.

After Sasuke stripped himself of his jeans and shirt, he climbed into bed too. Sakura reached for him automatically, clinging to his warmth. She rested her head in his neck, one hand reaching out to run her hands through his surprisingly soft hair while the other was quickly captured in one of his larger ones. A hand fell to rest on her waist, pulling her close.

"Sasuke," she whispered into the dark after a long time. He grunted in response. "I'm not afraid of you, even knowing about you are involved in."

Silence greeted her but she felt him squeeze her hand gently and then lips press into the top of her hair. Somehow she knew he understood. He had a history, but so did she. She had a cleaner history than she did, but he accepted her. She felt it was only fair that she do the same. He was her protector, criminal or not, she still felt safe in his arms despite everything. She knew in her heart that he wouldn't hurt her even if her mind was still going in circles. She just had to wait until her mind caught up with her heart.

With the silent understanding lingering in the air, the two drifted to sleep.

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><p><strong>Urgh. it was so, urgh. Well review. I have to go and try and get stuff done now . . . sad face. I wish i could go back to when i was five. everythign was so much simpler at five.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Late. It's late. I know there has been some confusion about chapter 9. Well that was a mistake on my part. I accidentially posted chapter eight twice (so the FF thought i put up chapters eight and nine) so i quickly removed it. I then was going to put this chapter up awhile ago but i suffered a major setback involving my flash drive self-destructing in seven peices so i had to rewrite it.**

**But here it is. Little editing so point out mistakes if you would like.**

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

In Sight

Sakura had a strange dream that night. She dreamt that she was with Sasuke, like really with him. She was living with him fully, she had an adoption certificate for Aiden, a ring on her finger and her stomach rounded with his baby. She and Tsunade were on good terms, Minato was like the father she never had. She was best friends with all the other old ladies, had a reaper tattoo on her back and was welcomed by all the men. She was still a surgeon at the hospital but also acted as the club's personal doctor whenever they got scraped up. It was a good dream. It was a good life.

When Sakura woke up, her mind still swirling with images of this strange future she had never considered before, she was surprised to find arms still around her. It was odd. She had never woken up in someone's arms before. She had slept over with past boyfriends before and they would cuddle before going to sleep but never has she woken up wrapped up tightly in warm, strong arms. At some point in the night she and her partner at the time would roll away from one another and wake up on their respected side of the bed.

But not with Sasuke.

She was lying practically on top of him. Her head was tucked over his heart that was thumping evenly under his warm skin. One of his large hands still held her smaller one, the warmth of having it cradled throughout the night making her palms slick with sweat. His other arm was still wrapped tightly around her, cradling her in an almost profoundly soothing manner. It felt so nice to wake up in his arms. She felt like she fit here. She didn't even want to get up.

She glanced at the clock and let a small curse loose. It was already four seventeen. If she wanted to take a shower, she needed to get up now. But lying in bed with Sasuke sounded much more tempting. However, her practical side won out and she reluctantly untangled herself from Sasuke's grasp. She did so carefully, trying not to wake him. He stirred slightly but didn't wake.

Sakura quickly grabbed her toiletry bag and walked down the dark hallway to the bathroom, trying to be extra quiet. It was odd to have to worry about waking other people up when she had been living alone for so long. She closed the door gently behind her and quickly stripped herself of her clothes once she found a towel in the closet she could use. She stepped into the shower stall and let the warm water wash away her worries.

The room was clouded with steam by the time she got out of the shower and wrapped herself in her towel. It was only then did she realize that she didn't grab anything to change into. All she had was dirty panties and Sasuke's shirt. Sakura sighed and cursed at herself as she combed through her hair in front of the mirror. Reluctantly she pulled Sasuke's shirt back over her head but she didn't want to put on dirty underwear. She stood stalling for a moment before she made up her mind, remembering that she was short on time this morning. Plus, the way she figured it, no one would know because they were all asleep.

Quietly, she crept back down the hallway with her dirty panties balled in her hand. However, before she could quietly make it into the bedroom she heard a loud ringing, the familiar tone assigned for when her mother called. Sakura cursed. Her mother liked to call early so she could catch her before she went to work. Abandoning all attempts to sneak through the hall, she rushed to grab her phone.

Sasuke was stirring when she rushed in, going straight for her purse. She dug it out but in her rush to answer it she fumbled and dropped it, falling and bouncing off the nightstand where it slid away from her. She cursed the sleek phone, diving with the ground to answer it. She grasped the damn, loud thing and quickly flipped it open. "Hello," she whispered, slightly out of breath by her clumsy efforts.

"Hi, honey," her mother's sweet voice said on the other side.

On the bed she heard Sasuke chuckle, his voice rough, teasing and mischievous all at the same time. "Well, good morning pussycat."

Sakura quickly snapped her head around to look at him, noticing for the first time that the start she wore had ridden up in her struggle. She flushed deeply and pulled at the hem before standing up and rushing back to the bathroom. She closed the door softly behind her, still aware that Aiden was still sleeping in the room next to her.

"Good morning, mother," she whispered into the receiver.

"Good morning. How are you today? It sounded pretty hectic a moment ago. What's up?" her mother whispered back.

Sakura sighed and then grabbed her hairbrush again. She combed through the tangles that had developed in her hair in her panic. "It was nothing. I just dropped the phone."

"Honey, why are we whispering?" she mother asked in a whisper a moment later.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm whispering because I don't want to wake up Aiden. I don't know why you're whispering." She pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment and checked the time. It was nearly four thirty now. She was going to be late if she didn't hurry herself along. It didn't look like she would be able to eat this morning.

"Who's Aiden? Is that your new boyfriend? Honey, you didn't tell me you were seeing anyone. All we ever talk about is your job. I didn't know you had a life outside the hospital, honestly I was getting worried. Wait, is he your co-worker? That would make sense. Oh, honey I'm so proud of you, getting a fine educated man. I always knew you would go places. Not that you aren't already going places on your own, honey. I'm so proud that you are a doctor. I'm just happy that you found a good, respectable man and you won't die alone or end up divorced like me. So, is he cute? I bet he's cute. You always attract the most handsome men. It's probably because you're so beautiful. You get that from me. In my day-"

Sakura sighed, listening to her mother's rant and leaned against the sink. Her mother liked to ramble. She did most of the talking between them or anyone for that matter. Sakura chose this moment to cut her off. "Mother, stop. Aiden is definitely not my boyfriend."

"Oh, well then who is he?" her mother asked.

A knock sounded at the door and Sakura cursed. The Prospect was supposed to come to take her to work at four thirty, she remembered. She opened the bathroom door and rushed down the hall to go answer the door, fearing that Aiden would wake up if the knocking continued.

"Well, that's sort of a long story," she muttered into the phone while she wrenched the door open. The door was half way open when the voice on the other side reached her and she realized her mistake.

"I forgot my key at home, baby. I hope I didn't wake up-" The voice stopped as amber and emerald eyes clashed.

"Mother, I'm going to have to call you back," Sakura mumbled as she stared frozen at Sasuke's mother instead of the Prospect. She hung up the phone without waiting for a response.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been only mildly awkward. If Sakura had answered the door in the middle of the day fully dressed, it would have been a minor speed bump in their rocky relationship. However, to answer the door at four thirty in the morning, dressed in Sasuke's shirt and nothing else, clearly having stayed over, it was more than a minor speed bump. This was a disaster. Sakura knew this and, without further thought, turned on her heels, pulled the shirt down to be sure it didn't blow up when she moved, and then ran down the hall. It was just a lucky thing that she remembered to keep the door from slamming closed when she finally escaped to the bedroom.

She turned and found Sasuke still in bed, apparently having gone back to bed after she had flashed him. Her face burning hot and her heart pumping, she marched over to the bed and pulled the sheets away from him roughly. He quickly stirred, sitting up and looking around in confusion, his body tensed as if he was awaiting a surprise attack. And in a way he did get attacked.

Sakura jumped up on the bed, rushing over so that she stood behind him. She kicked at him with enough force to push him but without really hurting him. "Move, move, move!" she commanded in a harsh whisper.

He groaned, realizing that the only danger in the room was Sakura. He was now being pushed towards the edge of the bed, offering minimal resistance. "What the hell is going on?"

"I just opened the door to let your mother in wearing only your shirt, that's what happened. I can't go back out there! Now get out there and fix the damage I just did," she commanded.

He let out a short laugh. "You answered the door with your cooch hanging out? That has to be the funniest thing ever. I bet my ma loved that," he said with another laugh, now teetering on the edge of the mattress.

She gave him a good kick on his back, pushing him off. "Shut your mouth, Uchiha, and get your ass out there," she said firmly.

Sasuke staggered a little, having put his weight on his bad leg for a moment but he quickly recovered without incident. He chuckled and then pulled on a pair of sweats while Sakura shifted uncomfortably on the bed. He swaggered towards the door, that same sexy grin on his face. He blew her a kiss before he exited the bedroom and sauntered down the hall.

Sakura waited until she could hear quiet mumbling before she gathered her things and moved quietly down the hall into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

When Sasuke entered the kitchen he found his mother rooting through the cabinets. He saw formula sitting on the counter as she busied herself with grabbing a bottle. He leaned against the doorway while she prepared Aiden's breakfast. She glanced at him once before she continued about her business, her body tense.

Sasuke sighed. "I know you're going to say it. Just do so quietly because I don't want her to hear in the bedroom."

She stopped and stared down for a long moment before she steeled herself and turned. "What the hell are you doing?"

He stood up to his full height. "I'm acting in order to protect and claim what's mine."

Tsunade snorted and popped her hip out, resting her hand on her hip. "Oh, is that what you were doing last night. Claiming your new pussy?"

Sasuke clenched his jaw, gridding his teeth in order to keep from snapped at her. He tried to calm the bubble of anger that settled in his gut. He counted to five in his head and took a deep breath before unclenching his jaw. Slowly he licked his lips. "What the hell is you're problem all the time? Why can't I just be happy for once without you dumping on her?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Because you always pick losers. The school slut, the redheaded junkie, the blonde club sister, the list goes on. Do you really think that I was just going to sit back while you wasted your time on losers?"

"Oh, and what about Sakura? She's a surgeon and great with Aiden. I trust her, which is more than I can say for my past girlfriends. You don't even know her. You haven't had a decent conversation with her and already you're judging her. You don't know the first damn thing about her so don't you dare sit there and pretend that you have my best interest in mind by acting like a bitch."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are talking to?"

Sasuke glared at her and took one angry step towards her. "And who do you think you are coming into my house and acting as if you own it? You may be my mother but I am not a child anymore that you have to take care of. I'm an adult, I'm a father now. Stop treating me like a child and get your head out of my shit for once. You have two other sons, remember? I'm trying to settle down. Why don't you stop wasting my time and focus on your youngest for once. He's a mess and needs to get his shit together. At least I'm trying; Naruto doesn't seem to give a shit so why don't you fix that and leave me the hell alone."

Tsunade stared at him guardedly, while he turned on his heels and moved over to the table. "What are you doing here so damn early anyways?"

She was silent for a moment and Sasuke actually had to look at her over his shoulder to see if she was going to answer at all. She was waiting for him to look at her. "Minato sent me. He said something about an early church meeting and something about a bike show down in Suna. He delegated me as babysitting while you were gone."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. "Bike show? I haven't heard anything about this."

Tsunade shrugged coldly. "I wouldn't know anything about it. I'm just an old lady."

She then exited the kitchen, obviously fuming, and marched down the hallway to the nursery. She closed the door softly and Sasuke sighed heavily, putting his head down and cradling it in his hands. Stress was slowly starting to consume him.

He stood there for a while before straightening up and moving down the hall into the bathroom. He knocked quietly and then peeked in. Sakura had just finished drying her hair so she welcomed him into the room. Thankfully now she had found a new pair of panties to where. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her slender waist and leaned his head on her shoulder.

"Good morning darling," he whispered.

She sighed and gave a small smile. "Good morning,"

"How flexible is your schedule at work?" he asked suddenly as he pulled away from her. He moved over to the shower stall, opening it and turning on the water. He stripped himself of his clothes, not seeming to be bothered by the fact that he wasn't alone. Sakura couldn't help her eyes raking over his body, now noticing for the first time the scar he had on his calf from when he was shot. It wasn't a clean scar, she noted.

"It's pretty flexible and I can get someone to cover me if need be."

Sasuke nodded. He stepped into the spray and let the warm water trickle over him. He was silent for a long while, pondering and formulating. Sakura let him think without asking questions, she knew she won't get an answer until he was ready. Instead she busied herself with applying a light layer of foundation and some eyeliner and mascara.

"You think you could get the rest of the week off of work?" he finally asked, his head full of suds and the masculine smell of his shampoo filled the air.

She looked at him, catching his eyes for a moment. Trust. He wanted her to trust him and one look at his eyes and she felt she had that trust to give. "Yeah, I could get someone to cover me."

He rinsed himself off and did a quick scrub over the rest of his body before she shut off the water. Without having him ask for one, Sakura grabbed a fresh towel and handed it to him. He gave that sexy grin and leaned in for a quick kiss. Her hand pressed against his bare, wet chest and chastely kissed him back before turning back to the mirror. It was quick, simple, like they had been doing it for years and would continue to do it for years afterwards.

Sasuke moved down the hallway to get dressed, hearing his mother chatting with Konohamaru in the kitchen. I glance into the nursery told him that the kid was already put and probably in the kitchen too. He dressed quickly in his usual attire and exited the bedroom in time for Sakura to enter and get dressed.

He when into the kitchen and greeted the prospect and tried to ignore his mother there. He held his son for a little bit and then passed him over to his mother after saying his goodbyes when Sakura entered, dressed and ready to go. The three of them walked out together, quickly pulling the prospect aside.

"Don't just drop her off at the hospital. I want to you to walk her up to the locker room and make sure she is comfortable. Then get your ass to the clubhouse. We have church so you have to run the shop while we are busy. Now move your ass," Sasuke ordered before kissing Sakura goodbye and mounting his bike.

He went straight to the clubhouse where all of the boys had already assembled. He went straight into the chapel and sat down, apologizing for running late. Naruto was slumped over the table, seemingly sleeping. Kiba smacked him harshly causing the blonde to jolt away and sit up in a panic. The ones who were awake enough to find humor in his reaction chuckled while the rest rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.

"Now that we are all here let's start," Minato muttered, leaning back in his chair and fishing out a cigar from his pocket. Sasuke did the same, pulling out a cigarette and his lighter. He lit up and blew smoke into the air.

"Mina, why are we here so damn early?" Jiraiya asked, already drinking a beer.

Minato placed the unlit cigar between his lips as he fished his lighter out of his pocket. "Gaara contacted me last night, looking to establish a link for the gun trade. It's short notice but the perfect opportunity to go up without causing suspicions among other MCs would be to go up for the pretense of the big bike show. It's in Suna this year so it's the perfect opportunity to go up to strengthen one of our newer charters."

The boys nodded Minato let about to delegating who would stay and who would go. "Jiraiya, Choiji, Shino, and Shikamaru, I want you here to keep everything in order. The rest of us go to Suna. Right after church we go home a pack a bag and get your shit together. We head out at six tonight, on the dot."

Sasuke cleared his throat in order to get his father's attention. "I'm bringing Sakura with me."

There was a pause before several members spoke up. "What?" "Huh?" "Why?"

Sasuke leaned forward and rest his elbows on the table. "We are in some deep shit. Sakura came here because her ex was stalking her even after she got a restraining order. Well her ex is back in the picture and has been keeping an eye on Sakura and me."

Sasuke lifted his cut a little and pulled out the envelope from last night. He had rolled it up and stuck it under his cut before he left the house. He pulled out the pictures and tossed them on the table, where they spread out for all of the boys to see. He waited until they could get a good look before continuing.

"He has my wrap sheet as well as some incriminating pictures of the club."

Neji looked at him sharply. "Is he threatening to go to the police because if he goes to the local PD then Kakashi can get rid of him and it'll be no big deal?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I wish it was that simple. The asshole that is stalking her is an ATF agent."

There was a tense pause before Naruto broke the silence. "Well, shit."

"Shit indeed," remarked Kiba.

Minato glared at both of them. "Shit doesn't even begin to cover it. We are in some deep, complete and total fucked up territory. An ATF agent is right on our tail."

Sasuke looked at him. "Yeah but he hasn't acted on it. If he wanted to he could have gotten a warrant and busted us already. He's holding his information so he can use it against us later if he needs to, trying to force our hand. It leads me to believe that he really isn't after us, more like he gave the pictures as a warning."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Yeah, he wants Sakura and we are just in the way."

Kiba shrugged. "Then why don't we just give her to him?"

Sasuke's eyes immediately went to Kiba, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Everyone tensed, suddenly feeling the death aura that suddenly settled over them. "We are not just going to hand Sakura over to a psychopath."

Kiba raised an eyebrow, seemingly relaxed even though Sasuke was sending him killer vibes. "Come on, Sas-cakes, do you really think that one girl is more important than the club?"

Jiraiya quickly swiped his open beer off the table, knowing Sasuke enough to act before his anger was unleashed and his beer became a casualty. Sasuke slammed his fist onto the table, shaking the frame, something that could have caused the beer to at least slosh over the tip of the cup.

"We swore that we would do everything in our power to protect our town and everyone in it! We can't just throw her at this bastard because we feel threatened! She deserves more than that and what would that say about us if we let it happen?"

Minato placed a calming hand on Sasuke's shoulder while Kiba raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I get it. No need to abuse the table," he muttered.

Shino looked at Sasuke calmly. "We aren't going to sacrifice her. But what do you suggest we do instead, since you seem to be so full of ideas and ideals."

Sasuke's tense shoulders shrugged. "I don't know yet. For now I just want to keep an eye on her at all times. Until we figure out what to do, I want her by my side as much as possible and the prospect or someone else on her if I can't. This is exactly why I want her to come up to Suna with us, so I can keep an eye on her."

Minato finally lit the cigar between his lips and looked at Sasuke squarely. "And what do you suggest happens when we do our business over there? Do you expect her to just sit on the back of your bike while we deal our guns?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Hinata has always been saying that she wants to see Suna. Naruto brings her along, she keeps Sakura company while we are doing business and we stick the Prospect with them just to be sure."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Seems like you thought this out."

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. "I do some of my best thinking in the shower."

Minato sighed, running his hands over his face. "Well we obviously aren't going to change your mind so let's just agree on this so let's get out of here and go pack."

X

Sasuke came to the hospital that night to pick her up, right before five. His mother was taking care of Aiden for him while he was away and luckily Sakura already had her bags packed sitting in his room. He had grabbed those, the random thing she had left lying around in her rush that morning, and then packed his own bag. Prospect was driving the van up with them so he had already placed the bags in the back along with the other boy's things.

He was waiting for her in the lobby where after greeting her and asking how her day was, he asked if she had gotten the time off. She nodded and then he quickly explained that he had to go to Suna for a sudden trip for the club. Her heart faltered for a moment, a feeling of panic suddenly gripping her at the thought of being alone. Without Sasuke's calming presence she would be a mess even if he sends someone to watch over her at all times.

"You don't mind, do you, that I'm suddenly just whisking you off to Suna?" he asked when they were alone in the elevator and Sakura exhaled in relief.

She gave a small smile. "I don't mind," she said softly, her small hand in his large skinny one. She was choosing to not think about it. Instead she was just going to let things happen as they happen and try not to overanalyze things. If she overanalyzes things like she always did, she would drive herself crazy.

They met up back at the lot of the clubhouse where Sakura quickly double checked her bag to see if she was ready for a trip. When she was sure she was good, and all the boys determined they were set, they started to mount their bikes.

"Do you want to ride with me or in the cage?" Sasuke asked from the seat of his black Harley. "It may be uncomfortable for you in the since you're not used to long trips but it's up to you."

She debated within herself for a moment before she grabbed the helmet that was hanging on the handle bars and strapped it on. Sasuke flashed her his grin as he shrugged out of his cut and then out of his leather jacket. He gave her the leather while he fixed his cut back into the place. Sakura smiled and pulled the now warm jacket around her small form. She checked the pockets quickly. His lighter and cigarettes were in one pocket while he had an extra pair of sunglasses in the other. She flashed him her hundred-watt smile as she pulled on his sunglasses.

"Looks good on you," he complimented as she pushed up behind him, straddling the heavy metal between her thighs. Her arms locked around his middle, a larger hand moving to press his linked fists for a moment before he released them, and her head moved to rest on his shoulder. Next to them Hinata was climbing on behind Naruto.

Sasuke looked to his left, where Minato was straddling his own bike. He was rubbing his knuckles, then slowly opening and closing his fists. Sasuke felt his heart grow heavy and his stomach do a flop. His old man's hands won't last much longer, a year or two if they are lucky. The arthritis in his hands were getting bad, soon he wouldn't be able to even hold the handles of the bike. And if you can't ride you can't lead. Sasuke would have to step up as the President of the Akatsuki. It was a fact that scared the shit out of him. Minato caught his gaze and gave a quick smile that a parent gives when they urge their kids not to worry. Sasuke tried to smile back but he couldn't be convincing enough.

He turned away, looking back briefly to look at the office window at the back of the lot. Tsunade was standing there behind the horizontal blinds, Aiden supported in one hand while the other was holding one of the blinds open further. Her hard amber eyes met his he knew he would have to fix their blow out first thing when he got back.

He pulled on his dark sunglasses and then pulled his own helmet on. He revved his engine while next to him his brothers did the same. Minato looked down the line and then nodded once. He rolled out smoothly, followed closely by Sasuke and Sakura. The rest of the boys rolled, going down the line in a practiced but natural habit. The van moved out behind them.

Sakura squeezed him tighter against her, relishing in the wind blowing around her and Sasuke's safe presence. Within no time they were on the open road, the sight of the Konoha sign still fading from their eyes.

"You are now leaving Konoha, home of the charming. Thank you for visiting."

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><p><strong>Kinda sucky. But please review.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow, its been awhile. I'm so, so, so, sorry for my lack of updates. Unfortunately i have been bogged down with so much school work that i couldn't even think straight. Since my last update i have finsihed my fourth semester at my local community college, graduated my local high school as salutatorian, and finished a jobshadowing/internship at a family practice. I've been busy.**

**This chapter is sort of weird. I'm not sure if i like it or not but instead of nitpicking i decided to just post it before i could convince myself to rewrite it.**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

MC Stead

It took three days to reach Suna. The group had stopped at motels along the way to rest for the night. Sasuke and the boys were fairly confident that no one was following them so Sakura could rest easy. When they stopped, Sasuke and Sakura shared a room with Naruto and Hinata that had two queen beds. It was sickening for the newer couple because they discovered that the older couple liked to have some sickeningly sweet pillow talk when the lights went out (a fact that Sasuke mocked his brother about relentlessly in the morning). But besides that fact, Sasuke found that she greatly enjoyed cuddling up with Sasuke. With him she always knew she would wake up in his arms.

They rolled into Suna around four on the third day where Sasuke took the leads in navigating the streets. They stopped in at the Suna clubhouse, a building that was much smaller than the maiden charter in Konoha. This clubhouse sat in the middle of a small business community. It was nestled between two businesses and had an odd back alley entrance and an oddly large underground parking structure. They checked in the clubhouse, seeing that only their prospects were there before they decided to go to the bike show. Sakura and Hinata used the quick stop to freshen up before they got back on their respected man's bike.

Sakura had never been to a bike show. She had been busy with school and all of her past boyfriends were clean-cut jocks, or cops, or something everyone would consider respectable. Sasuke was the first man she dated that walked on the other side of the careful line society had drawn between the good guys and the bad guys. Everything was different with Sasuke. So she should have expected his kind of party would be different.

She had been to a party in the lot for the clubhouse and she had thought that was an absurd number of bikers in one place. But now this was completely ridiculous. This bike show was a much bigger deal than she had originally thought it was going to be. It was huge. It took up several city blocks, were in and out of buildings, somehow keeping a clear space for the bikes to go through in. Sakura had never seen so many MCs in one place.

What really surprised her though was the response the club got from the other MCs. As soon as they rolled in, decreasing their speed so they could easily move through the crowds, people started staring. As they approached, those who noticed seemed to stop momentarily before they returned to their business while discretely still watching. A few people actually clapped as they passed. And Sakura had never felt so hated by her own sex like in that moment. It was just like the sheer fact that she was riding in with Sasuke was enough to make every girl hate her.

They found the Suna charter fairly quickly and expertly maneuvered their Harleys into the available parking spaces. The boys dismounted easily while the Suna boys moved over to greet them. The next few minutes were a flurry and mush of boastful yelling of greetings and hugs. Sakura stood next to Hinata, who like herself didn't know all the Suna boys like their own men did. Sakura kept Sasuke's sunglasses on but she removed the helmet, shaking out her pink hair to try and calm the helmet hair. When simply shaking it did nothing to help she bent forward, shaking it out upside down. She stopped when she heard catcalls.

She quickly stood up straight, noticing a large group of lecherous bikers clad in a cut with another MC name on it standing behind her, staring at her ass. Hinata put an arm gently behind and led her away from the leering men.

"Don't worry, it isn't always like this. Once you become an old lady the men suddenly know to keep their distance from you if they have bad intentions," Hinata assured, moving towards their men.

Sasuke was standing next to his brother Naruto when they walked up. They were locked in a deep conversation with two men, a large brunette and a smaller redhead, and a blonde woman. Instantly Sakura recognized the blonde as the same one she had seen entering Sasuke's house one morning. It put her on edge slightly, especially seeing how the blonde woman was staring lovingly at Sasuke whenever no one seemed to be looking.

Hinata pulled her gently into the middle. She smiled at the two men, completely skipping over the blonde, as she moved over to Naruto. Naruto grinned wildly as he quickly pulled her to his side.

"I hope we aren't interrupting anything," Hinata offered.

Naruto kissed her cheek. "Never. Hinata, you remember Gaara and Kankuro." He said, gesturing to the redhead and the brunette, respectively. Sakura glanced at them, reading the patches on the front of their cuts, reading 'PRESIDENT' and 'VICE PRESIDENT'. Sakura also took note that like Sasuke, Kankuro had a patch on the left side that said 'UNHOLY ONE' (because he helped with the mission in Konoha to revenge Asuma and spilt blood for the club). Hinata and the two boys exchanged greetings.

Sasuke grinned at Sakura and gestured her forward. His hand laced through hers and held her close to his side and looked at Gaara and Kankuro. "Boys, this is my new girl, Sakura."

They glanced quickly at the blonde girl and Sakura followed their gaze to see a flicker of hurt on her face before she disguised it. They looked at her, their gaze slightly scrutinizing before they offered a friendly hand. Sakura shook each of their hands with her one free one, using her dazzling smile so that they will like her. She felt an almost unconscious need for them to like her. She was with the vice president of the Konoha charter. She almost felt as if that meant she should be at least liked by the leaders of the other charters.

Sasuke leaned in and kissed her temple, squeezing her hand. When her hand was released by the Suna boys it came to wrap around Sasuke's thin waist. Her head came to rest on his chest, tucked slightly under his arm. He bent forward, ignoring how the Suna boys and the blonde were all watching, and pressed his lips to her ear. "Keep close to me. You don't have any ink so some of these men might mistake you for a free croweater looking for a niche," he whispered in her ear so only she could hear.

Sakura nodded and squeezed his hand, looking up to stare into his dark eyes. "I'm not going anywhere," she muttered quietly but apparently loud enough for Naruto smile goofily.

"You guys are so cute. Already you two look as if you have been together as long as me and Hinata. When are you two getting married?" he joked.

Sasuke grinned at his brother and held her tighter to his own form. "When are you?" He asked and then kissed Sakura's temple again. He gave her his grin, ignoring Naruto now who was pouting while Hinata blushed. "Come on, darlin', got to go find my old man and make the rounds."

Sakura nodded and pulled out of Sasuke's grip so it was easier for them to maneuver through the crowds but still held onto his hand tightly, their fingers intertwined. Sakura was only dimly aware that Naruto and Hinata, the Suna boys and the blonde were all following them because Sasuke's thumb was lightly rubbing circles on whatever fingers it could reach. She looked up at him, looking at his profile as he focused on the crowd in front of him. People were greeting him as he walked by, looking at him with a sense of awe. A quick look back and Sakura noticed that even the president of the Suna charter wasn't getting the same recognition as Sasuke.

"Why is everyone staring at you like your some sort of god?" Sakura asked quietly.

Sasuke glanced at her and shrugged nonchalantly. "It's because I'm the Vice President of the maiden charter. Plus, my old man is a co-founder of the club and it's sort of in my blood to take over one day. The maiden charter is the charter that sets the tone for all the other charters so it's sort of big deal to be high up in rank."

"Oh, so you are a sort of god to them? Just don't let the fame go to your head, big boy," she teased and Sasuke laughed, pulling her into his arms again. He pulled her so that she was in front of him, where her arms automatically wrapped around his neck. He lifted her slight form, letting her legs dangle in the air. His lips, now level with hers, pressed against hers in a simple but strong kiss. Sakura kissed him back, dimly aware that they were still moving even while they kissed. Even though Sasuke wasn't paying any more attention to where they were going as she was, they didn't bump into anyone; people moved out of the way for them without having to be asked.

"Well, well, well, aren't you two cozy," a voice said and they pulled back, coming to a stop in front of Minato and a few other men from various charters. Sasuke just smiled his sexy grin and then kissed Sakura again before putting her down and tucking her under his arm.

"Well, who wouldn't be with someone as cute as her?" Sasuke commented lightly before greeting the other men. He introduced her as his lady.

"Is she your old lady or just your lady?" one of the men asked, looking between the two of them with a teasing smile.

Sasuke just held her tighter. "We'll see how far we get," he answered vaguely before he kissed her temple again.

Minato raised an eyebrow at him and looked at him oddly. "You are strangely affectionate today." Sasuke just shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm feeling good today," he commented offhandedly.

However, just as he spoke he felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He faltered for a moment, not that anyone noticed. He was suddenly hyperaware of the eyes on him, especially one pair of eyes. He turned to look off to his right, where he felt an odd pull or instinct. He saw all the leather clad bikers like he expected, laughing and having their jollies. His dark eyes scanned the crowd, not completely sure what he was looking for, and stopped when he met with equally dark eyes as his. There was a man standing at least fifty feet away staring at him intensely.

He was an older man, probably around the age of Minato and Jiraiya. He had a fair complexion, darker than his own, and almost the same dark eyes as him and Itachi. His hair was short but long enough for it to look slightly shaggy, dark brown in color that almost looked black from the distance. He was tall and had relatively slim build though he probably had a similar figure as Sasuke in his prime. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and some sort of black short sleeved shirt under a blank leather cut. Even from this distance and with his repressed memories Sasuke couldn't deny who he was or the striking resemblance between the two of them.

Sasuke slowly detangled himself from Sakura, who looked up at him questioningly. She called his name once but he was already walking away. He dimly heard Minato call his name as well followed shortly by a curse. He heard his old man shout to the boys but he ignored it, walking calmly but quickly over to the man. The man stood his ground even though he must have known what was coming to him.

He reached him and balled his hand into a fist. Putting his weight behind the blow, he swung. The man finally moved, stepping away from the blow just in time. Sasuke would have easily continued his assault had several strong arms not grabbed him from behind and pull him back. "You bastard!" Sasuke yelled, his face contorted in anger.

The older man lifted his hand in the air in surrender. "Itachi, I get it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you and your little brother like that. I'm sorry."

Sasuke spat in his direction but was unable to quite reach him when he had the boys restraining him. "Fuck you!" So many people called him Itachi and vice versa that the two brothers no longer took offense anymore. In fact, when they were younger it seemed it was nearly impossible to tell them apart sometimes until Itachi started maturing into manhood. However, for _him_ to mistake them caused Sasuke's chest to tighten from the angry swelling up, waiting to burst.

"Sasuke, calm down," Naruto shouted in his ear, tightening his grip on his left side.

The older man stared at them in confusion. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke glared at him, only dimly aware that Sakura had stepped up in front of him and was now standing between them. She pressed her hands against his chest but he ignored it and looked over her head. He glared at the older man.

"Yeah, Sasuke. It's a little pathetic when you can't even tell your sons apart, don't you think? Maybe if you had stuck around you know the difference between us," Sasuke spat at the man.

Sakura tensed, and looked closely at the man behind her. She studied his features and even she couldn't deny the striking resemblance. Sasuke was like the younger spitting image of the older man in a weird way, though Sasuke seemed to have something more charismatic about him and was handsomer compared to this man. Even when angry, Sasuke had something about him that drew people to him while this man lacked this trait.

Sakura turned her attention back to Sasuke, leaning towards him and pressing her hands against his chest, trying to contain him. He ignored her and she cursed her sorry height as he easily looked over her.

The man was staring at Sasuke with a look a pure bewilderment. "Sasuke, really? I had always thought it would be my oldest to join the club. I hadn't thought you had it in you. You always seemed too delicate for this sort of life."

Sasuke glared hardened, becoming a death glare that many had learned to fear. "Oh, yeah? Is that because I was sick? I was too delicate to join the club and have a family but I wasn't too delicate to be abandoned by my drunk father after losing my little brother to the same disease I had. You know, a death like that scares the shit out of a little kid and I really needed my father to comfort me but you were nowhere to be seen. Did you even consider that before you ran off?"

The old man flinched and hung his head. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I'm so sorry. If I could go back and-"

"A little too late for that," Sasuke spat and then fought against the hold on him in an attempt to get a chance to wring his father's neck. Minato in the background yelled at him, preparing the boys so they could get his son out of there. He knew Sasuke and knew that since the man was this mad they would have to drag him out of there. Once Sasuke got so mad that he wanted to beat the shit out of someone then there would be no stopping him short of a bulldozer.

However, before the boys could step in the tackle Sasuke, immobilize him and then carry him away, a miracle happened. Sakura was suddenly on the situation. She stepped up onto her tippies and gripped large fists full of his hair before tugging harshly so that he was forced to look at her. Her emerald green eyes met his in a determined, intense stare.

"You," she whispered, her voice barely audibly to the boys around her but perfectly clear for Sasuke, "You need to calm down." He tried to detangle himself and pull away from her but with his arms locked in a deathgrip by the boys he couldn't. She gave another tug of his hair. "Look at me," she demanded in her commanding tone that left no argument. "You need to calm down."

Sasuke breathed angrily and clenched his jaw but stopped struggling and focused on listening to what she obviously wanted to say. She gave him that same determined look. "I know that asshole behind me is a complete prick and really deserves for you to kick his ass but now is hardly the time. We are in public and it's frowned upon to start brawls in the street. So calm down, darlin', and take a breather so you can think your actions through before you get arrested."

His eyes stared into hers and nothing else as his breathing slowed and his anger cooled. The boys watched with great confusion and awe as Sasuke calm down. Sasuke had a short temper most of the time and it was nearly impossible to calm him once he got started. And here, a little girl just tells him to calm down and looks into his eyes and he listens. It was the strangest thing they had ever seen.

Sasuke's anger seemed to have cooled enough that Sakura felt it safe to let his hair go. Gently her small fists threaded out of his smooth hair and trailed down his face. Her hands settled on his cheeks and held his face gently, her eyes still staring deeply into his. His dark eyes softened as he stared into her sparkling emerald orbs and suddenly the need to punch his bastard father was nonexistent. He gave a weak smile. "He really is a prick, isn't he?" he said softly and Sakura flashed him her winning smile.

"Yes, yes he is," she stated with a small chuckle.

Sasuke gave a feeble tug at his restrained arms, though it was a calm one. The boys slowly loosened their grip on him and then released him fully when they were sure Sasuke wasn't going to turn around and punch the guy as soon as he was freed. He didn't spare them a glance as he was released and instead focused on his lady.

His hand skimmed over her arm quickly before he moved it to trail up her neck and into her hair while the other moved to her waist. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers as his eyes finally closed to break the hold she held him in. "Thank you," he whispered to her, her warm breath fanning out over her face. Sakura's eyes fluttered close as she felt his hand grip and tug at her hair softly, a familiar gesture now.

Softly lips brushed together, once, twice, before they felt the need to finally seal the deal. Neither was sure who moved first, maybe it was both of them, but their lips pressed together quickly, a spark of emotion that neither were prepared for. It was like their first kiss all over again, lips moving against one another in a perfect way, tingles and hot sensations spreading throughout their bodies. It was a simple kiss, short but sweet, and they pulled away slowly still feeling the electric aftershocks of the intimate kiss.

Sasuke held her close, resting his forehead against hers still. She looked at him lovingly. "Are you calm now?" she whispered. He nodded.

"Daddy!" a voice suddenly pierced through the air. Everyone turned as a girl, young, pushed through the crowd that had formed and rushed to the oldest Uchiha's side. She was a sort of pretty thing, not overly pretty but neither plain either. She had chocolate brown hair that hung over her shoulders, grouped together in a loose side pony. She lacked the Uchiha dark eyes but had the strong aristocratic features that all blood Uchihas shared. She was dressed in tight jeans and knee high leather five inch heels with a red tank top under an unmarked leather jacket. She obviously was looking for the biker's attention, but the innocent gleam in her eyes led Sasuke to believe that she was new to this world.

She had her arm hooked with the eldest Uchiha's, and was glancing nervously at Sasuke, obviously having seen enough to know that he was the attacker but seemed oblivious to the reason. Sasuke eyed her in confusion before looking to his biological father in an accusing manner.

"Really?" The older man let out a deep, resigned breath.

Sasuke quickly turned away from him and looked at the girl. "How old are you?"

She swallowed thickly. "Twenty two," she answered in a calm voice with only a slight trace of a tremble.

Sasuke did the math quickly. She was seven years younger than him. The bastard ran off when he was five so that means he didn't wait long to find a replacement family. However, this family had no risk of the heart weakness that his first did. Sasuke shook his head and released Sakura from his arms and replaced her at his side, their hands still connected.

"I wish you the best of luck," he said to the girl, "With a father like him you're going to need it."

He turned away, his eyes going to straight to his old man's and then saw as Itachi moved through the crowd. He stilled behind their old man, looking over his younger brother's shoulder and spotting the older Uchiha. Itachi had always been less bitter about their biological father but even Sasuke could see the angry boiling beneath the surface. Naruto put a hand on his shoulder; offering silent comfort to his eldest brother.

"You have no right! My father has been nothing but a kind man all his life. He has been the best father in the world!" the girl behind them suddenly shouted and Sasuke stilled to look at her over his shoulder. She was glaring at him, arm still linked with the man who refused to look him in the eyes now.

Sasuke just smirked. "No, my Da has been the best father in the world. He took in two boys that were even his and gave us unconditional love no matter what. That man next to you may have been good to you but he will never be my Da." Minato placed a hand on his shoulder while Sakura squeezed his hand, anxious to get him away.

Minato looked at his old best friend and nodded his head once. "Fagaku, it was good to see you," he muttered and then led his family away before someone snapped and blood was spilled.

The boys closed in around Sasuke and Itachi, making sure that if they suddenly turned and whirled around that they would have to go through them to get to the man. But Itachi was calmer than that. He was more calculated than Sasuke, planned all of his moves before he acted so he wasn't just going to whirl around and cause problems. And with Sakura tightly latched onto Sasuke, the youngest raven wasn't going to cause problems either.

Sakura squeezed his hand, looking up at his downcast profile. He looked at her briefly, his eyes no longer lit with a fiery passion but now resigned. She felt her heart clench at the sadness she knew he was feeling. Irrationally, as if he was a child that she needed to protect instead of the adult that was protecting her, she felt the need to take way that sadness. She knew that she wouldn't be able to, not completely, but she felt the need to try.

"I'm right here," she said suddenly and he paused misstep, coming to a halt as he stared at her in confusion. Behind him Neji crashed into him as the stop was so sudden, but Sasuke barely felt the collision as he stared at the pinkette by his side.

"What?" Sasuke chocked out. The other boys paused when they noticed that part of the group had been stopped. They moved back, looking at the couple with questioning looks.

"Everything okay here?" Minato asked, his gaze bouncing between his youngest son and his lady.

Sakura ignored everyone and focused on the man in front of her. Her emerald eyes tried to convey as much emotion as she could. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you, and Aidan and the rest of your family. I'm here." Her voice was serious and sincere.

Sasuke stared at her in wonder for a long moment before his gaze softened. He smiled softly and squeezed her hand. It was exactly what he needed to hear. After seeing his father years after his abandonment, he needed to be reassured of stability in his life. He needed someone to look him in the eyes and tell him that he would be okay and that they were there. And then there was Sakura, telling him what he needed in a sincere manner that left no question to whether or not she meant it, as if he could read his mind.

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. "Thanks, darlin'," his lips brushed hers ever so gently, "I need that."

She pulled away and stared at him determinedly. "But you can't go all psycho again. Last thing I need is to be patching you up. I didn't bring my medical bag," she said strongly.

He smiled and licked his lips. "Okay. I'll try."

"You got yourself one strong lady, Sasuke," a voice suddenly said and the couple turned to see Gaara standing there. Behind him was his brother looking on with questioning expression while the blonde woman stood close behind. Gaara smirked confidently. "You hold on to that one. She's special, I can tell."

A look of hurt and betrayal passed over the face of the blonde women, something Kankuro noticed while Gaara seemed to be oblivious. Sasuke noticed as he faltered for a moment, a brief moment of hesitation, before he grinned proudly and clutched Sakura close to him. "Didn't you hear she ain't going anywhere?"

Sakura smiled, wrapping an arm around his waist and trying to hold onto the moment. Soon Naruto was making some smart comment and Sasuke was there to playfully put him in his place. The group moved back to where the other Suna boys were congregating and the once aggressive atmosphere was smoothed over to one of camaraderie again. Of course, the happy atmosphere wasn't the same as it had been before but it was a much better improvement compared to what it had been after seeing the lost Uchiha.

They hung around the bike show until well into the night, talking to other MCs and catching up with old friends. Sakura kept close to Sasuke's side the entire time and also close to Hinata who filled her in on details about the different people hanging around when she was familiar with them. Hinata told her of the people that were important for the club and who she should avoid if necessary. Sakura liked having Hinata near because she felt as if she had a comrade to weather the storm of the MC with.

They eventually made their way back to the clubhouse where the prospects had been manning the home front. As soon as the club entered the small clubhouse the music was turned on louder and the booze was broken out. Sakura soon found herself sitting beside Sasuke, Naruto, Minato, Gaara, Kankuro, and Hinata at a small bar. There were no children around so smoke clouded the air heavily. It seemed as if you wanted to be a part of this club you had to smoke, Sakura noted.

A warm hand found its way to Sakura's thigh and she looked down in surprise. He followed the arm up to look at Sasuke who wasn't looking at her. Instead he was engaged in a comical conversation with his brother about when they took Minato's car for a joyride when they were thirteen and twelve, respectively. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to her but his hand had settled itself on her thigh, now rubbing gentle circles with his thumb.

Sakura allowed the intimate touch but shifted her body so that it would be harder for a person to see. She could feel the eyes of that blonde woman burning a hole in her back from across the room. She and Sasuke obviously had some history and she did not like Sakura stepping into the picture. Sakura did her best to ignore the eyes on her while she tried to hide the intimate hold Sasuke had on her.

An hour must have gone by before Sasuke downed his last shot and put out his cigarette stub. He stood slowly, purposefully letting his fingers trail up her thigh as he did so. He leaned forward to press his lips to her ear, his warm breathe fanning over her and making her shiver. "You ready for bed, darlin'?" he asked and she nodded.

She stood while Sasuke said his good nights to his boys before taking her hand and leading her up the back stairs. The Suna Clubhouse was odd in that while it wasn't very large width wise, it made up for it in height. The clubhouse had the parking garage below, the main floor where the chapel and party was and then the next two floors were small "apartments" which were actually office sized rooms that the boys put beds in. When Sasuke stayed in Suna he had stayed on the top most floor in one of the few rooms with a bathroom attached. Sasuke led the way back to his room.

As Sasuke opened the door a hand snaked up the back of her neck to fist her hair in same familiar manner. Without turning on the light Sasuke smashed her lips against hers and then pulled her into the room. Sakura responded to the kiss sweetly, her eyes looking around the room quickly. It was mostly bathed in darkness but a little light from the hallway allowed her the sight of a bed pushed in the corner of the room, a nightstand beside the bed. There was an empty crib by the foot of the bed with only enough space between the two for a person to stand there.

Sasuke deepened the kiss and soon thoughts of the room left Sakura's mind. A free hand reached behind her to close the door and then everything was pitch black so the only thing that grounded Sakura there was the feel of Sasuke's overheated flesh pressing against hers. A tongue pushed its way into her mouth and she could taste every drink that he consumed as well as the sort of unpleasant bitter taste of cigarettes. While she mentally balked at the taste but shivered at the pleasure the kiss caused, a hand found its way to her back where it slipped beneath her shirt to press her tightly against his body.

Things quickly began to spiral out of control. One moment Sakura felt in control and then the pleasure that spiraled in her as a result of Sasuke's touches took control over her. Too quickly Sakura found herself pushed up against the door, her legs hitched around Sasuke's waist. Her hands numbly fumbled to remove his cut, where it fell carelessly to the floor in a heap. Sasuke was always to very careful with his cut, always removing and folding it with care. But when with Sakura, in this moment of overwhelming lust and possibly love, it was nothing more than a scrap of leather on the floor.

Sasuke gripped the hem of her shirt and she wordlessly lifted her arms up to assist in removing the article. As soon as the article was tugged over her head her lips returned to his while she lowered her hands to his belt. While she hastily fumbled over unfastening his belt and jeans, he was removing his own shirt and then locking lips with her now bruised lips. Familiar and delicious jolts of pleasure left Sakura shaking like a leaf, the jolts much more overwhelming and powerful than any previous experience before.

It was too fast, she thought with alarm while her lowered herself to the floor and was hastily removing her jeans. While her mind rushed to catch up with her body she took a stumbling and blind step towards where the bed was. Arms wrapped around her and pulled her into an embrace and she soon found herself flopping on the bed while lips attacked her own.

There was a whirlwind in her, a deep conflicting whirlwind. A part of her wanted nothing more than to give in. A tight coil was pooling in the pit of her gut as Sasuke's heated touches brushed against her and seem to penetrate her in a way that none have ever done before. It was more than she could take and she wished to give into the temptation and give herself freely to Sasuke. Sasuke's boxer clad groin ground into her own scantily clad core and the temptation became almost too much for her to bear.

Another part of her knew it was too soon. They had only just got together. They had been on one official date and now she was rolling around with him in bed? She wasn't this type of girl. She wasn't the kind of girl that treated sex so easily. For her it took a level of trust, something she didn't easily give anymore since it was always seemed to turn out bad. As safe as she felt with Sasuke, she wasn't ready to make this step with him emotionally. Physically she was all geared up, obviously, but her heart was not ready. She was not ready.

"Too fast," she muttered against his lips as his hips ground against hers and created a powerful friction that left Sakura reeling and her eyes clouding over.

"I'll slow down," he muttered and then slowed the rate of his hips to a sensual grind while his harsh kisses slowed to a passionate dance. It took Sakura several minutes to realize that he misinterpreted her words.

Despite herself she found herself letting out a hysterical giggle. "That's not what I meant," she said as he kissed the corner of her lips.

Her words registered slowly to him as did the fact that she was no longer responding to his touches and kisses. He halted his advances and pulled back enough to look at her. He studied her nervous expression and saw that she was afraid of what was to happen next. The facts began to filter through his alcohol clouded mind. She was an abused woman who obviously was not ready to take the next step with him, one look at her now and he could see this clearly. He could also see that she was afraid of him right now. Not so much that she feared that he will strike her but instead reject her for not giving him what he obviously wanted.

And yes, he wanted it. He wanted it very badly. He had never been more attracted to a woman than he was with her and he wanted her so much he felt as if he would explode. But he knew that she was different from other woman. She would not give herself freely to him like all the others. She would not just jump in bed with him like all his other past girlfriends and one night stands. She would need more from him than that.

He gave an understanding smile, glad that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough so that he could see the relief filter over her face. He leaned forward and kissed her chastely. "We can slow down," he muttered soflty.

"I'm sorry," she said in a whisper, turning her head away so she did not have to face him.

He gently griped her chin and turned her to face him. "Do not apologize to me for this. We'll take the next step when you are ready and no sooner. It's no good for either of us to rush into this foolishly." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and then reached up to cup his face. Pulling him closer she kissed him deeply, expressing everything she felt in this kiss. She expressed her relief, her happiness, her lust, her trust, everything. She pulled away slowly and planted a single chaste kiss after. "Thank you."

He rolled off of her and pulled the blankets down. Sakura tucked herself within his embrace as he settled the blankets over the both of them. Her head settled over his heart, her fingers brushing over his surgical scar idly. "Don't thank me for something any man should do. Just sleep for now, darlin'," he whispered in the dark.

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><p><strong>Well, tell me what you think?<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**I suck, i know. The worst semester of my life just ended thursday and then had a graduation ceremony yesterday. Today, though, i sat down with my seasons of Sons of Anarchy playing to inspire me, and got to writing. **

**This is for everyone who has been following this story and waiting for patiently. I thank you for sticking with me, and i apologize for the delay. Don't know when the next one will be up but i will try to get it up sooner rather than later.**

**As a side note before you read, i wonder if anyone would be interested in making a banner for the story. I thought about making one myself but i'm far too lazy and would rather write than draw or put something together. I'll give you credit and you'll have my undying love for what its worth.**

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

The Suna Way

A banging sound lifted Sakura from her sleep and she couldn't help the groan that escaped her. She was swathed in the warm feeling of Sasuke arms around her that was slowly becoming familiar to her. The same feeling of warmth and contentment filled her in her sleep induced haze and she turned her head to bury it in his chest. She didn't want to wake up, she never wanted to wake up, but the banging sound was not going away.

She felt Sasuke stir as the sound registered to him and she lifted her head enough to see him open his eyes and look at the door in a disgruntled manner. As she slowly started to wake up, she became more aware of her surroundings. She took a look at the small bedroom, the light coming in from the blinds and then everything flooded back to her slowly.

Her face flamed as she remembered the lust driven encounter last night followed by deep-seeded relief that they were able to contain themselves. She liked Sasuke, more than she ever imaged she would be able to feel so quickly, but she was not ready for that. A part of her was still struggling with how fast they were already moving that the idea of giving herself to him in that way so quickly terrified her more than she was willing to admit. After everything she had been through, she needed to take her time with him before she took that blind leap.

The banging continued and she become aware of a slightly familiar voice, though she couldn't quiet pick out who it was at the moment, calling out. "Wakey, wakey, lovebirds! Come down for breakfast!"

Sasuke groaned quietly and then ran a hand over his face in a tired manner. The yelling and banging continued before Sasuke seemed to get annoyed. "Alright, asshole! We get it! Quit before I come out and shove my foot up your annoying ass!" he yelled. The person on the other side chuckled loudly and then told them to come down soon before the sound of his retreating footsteps was heard.

Sasuke sighed tiredly and looked at her. His eyes seemed to light up after a moment before he ducked in to give her a chaste good morning kiss. He grinned back at her with that stupid lopsided grin and then wrinkled in nose cutely before relaxing again. "Morning, darlin'," he muttered.

"Good morning," she whispered back and then peppered his exposed chest with a few chaste kisses before she reluctantly pulled herself from his embrace. If they didn't get up soon they would send someone else up to get them and with their luck, it would be Naruto who didn't care for boundaries. He would barge in and she was not the least bit excited to be seen in such a state of undress in front of her boyfriend's brother.

She paused for a moment, trying to catch up. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? Sasuke had called her his lady but denied that she was his old lady. She was still learning the entire biker lingo but she understood that an old lady was somehow a step up from a lady. Hinata was Naruto's old lady, and Neji and Shikamaru had their own old ladies back home. And obviously Tsunade was Minato's old lady, so Sakura assumed that to be an old lady meant you were in a serious, committed relationship or you were married. So as his lady does that mean she was his girlfriend? They had never said anything official but since she was staying with him, she assumed they were at least in some sort of relationship.

"We're together, right?" she asked suddenly and then instantly regretted it when he casted a strange look.

"Huh?" was all he was able to choke out as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes, still laying down.

She blushed and looked away from him. Nervously toying with her hair, she fumbled out an answer. "Are we together? We never said anything official and our relationship has been fast moving. I just don't know where we stand . . ." she trailed off.

"I've already said that you're my lady," he answered as if she was supposed to know what that meant.

She stared at him blankly for a moment and then shrugged to show her ignorance. "And in regular people speak that means what? I'm still new to the biker lingo."

He chuckled and then sat up and ghosted a hand up her arm. The hand trailed up her arm, to her shoulder, then to her neck before it settled in a fist of her hair. He leaned in for a gentle but telling kiss, making her head spin, before he leaned away and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"In regular people speak you are my girlfriend. When we get more serious, people will begin to recognize you as my old lady, the woman I have chosen to life my life with."

He said when, Sakura noted, not if. He was expecting them to go for the long run. Instantly she thought of her dream where she was a part of his world as his wife. As his old lady, as he would say. The thought oddly didn't scare her. Of all the ways she imaged her life panning out, this was not it. She never imagined she would be a victim of domestic abuse whose only way of healing would be to let a criminal into her heart and protect her from the world. But he was more than just a criminal. He was a loving father and brother, and an honorable and charming man. Even with everything he was involved in, he was the best man she has ever known.

She smiled and grabbed his stubbly chin between her hands and pressed an urgent kiss to his lips. He kissed her back with equal fervor. Their kiss did not get very far as almost as soon as it started they pulled away again by banging on the door once more. Sasuke sighed, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before he stood and crossed the little distance to the door.

He opened it just enough to look out but block the view of her still on the bed. "Al'ight, ya jackass, we're up. You knock in this door one more time and I'm seriously going to rip your throat out."

The door blocks her sight from whoever was on the other side but she is able to see a tanned hand with a tattooed wrist raise up as if in surrender. "'ey, don't blame me. I'm just the messenger. Your old man sent me up."

Sasuke sighed. "Yeah, yeah, well, we're up. Just let us get dressed and we'll be down in a minute."

"Alrighty, but let it be known that Naruto is being sent up next if you take too long."

"Yeah, duly noted. Give us a few minutes," he said.

The tanned hand reached out and pats Sasuke's bare shoulder. "Alright, brother." The hand disappeared and Sasuke shut the door.

He was shaking his head. "Damn that Kiba. He's a major kiss ass. My dad says jump and Kiba is the first one up. He thinks that by being Da's little servant he's gonna earn himself a better place in the club. Too bad for him Dad's gonna step down soon and he's been kissing the wrong ass for years."

"And you're going to take over?" Sakura asked as she remembered how they had briefly discussed how he would someday take over.

She spied her bags sitting in the corner. Someone must have brought them up yesterday before they got in. In her rush last night, she hadn't even noticed them sitting there next to Sasuke's. She stood and quickly hunted down an outfit. She chose a simple pair of tight blue jeans and a tight tank top. She spied one of Sasuke's flannel shirts peeking out of his bag and quickly scooped it up. Pulling that on, she quickly tied it around her waist so it wasn't too baggy and dwarf her frame.

Sasuke eyed her as she dressed but said nothing about the stolen shirt. He dressed too in his usual baggy clothes that he had gotten from his brothers. He nodded. "Yup, I'm next in line. Da's hands are messed up and he won't be able to ride in a few years. You can't ride, then you can't lead. He'll retire from president, though he may choose to stay in the club. It's up to the club to vote me in, but the position is unofficially mine. The old man had been grooming me for presidency since I was voted in as vice president."

Sakura nodded, surprised that "someday" was sooner than she expected. She didn't see how it would affect them much, but she still wondered. She saw the level of respect the other old ladies gave Tsunade at the club dinner. It was because she was the president's old lady that she got that amount of respect. Dimly Sakura was aware that this could very well be her own future. She would have to step in and fill the shoes of the club's mother hen, something she wasn't sure she knew how to do. Tsunade seemed very much in control of everything, something Sakura would eventually have to learn how to do. It was a scary thought, but Tsunade was leaving her mighty big shoes to fill just as Minato was going the same for Sasuke.

"You'll talk to your mother, right?" she asked suddenly as they were exiting the room. Sasuke paused in the hallway to stare at her as she stood in the doorway. His expression was questioning and she obligated him with more. "I don't want her to hate me. She's a big part of this club and your life. I want to be a part of it too and I'm not going to be able to if she hates me. How am I ever going to learn to live your way of life if I don't have someone to teach me how to be a lady or an old lady? Hinata can only do so much to help me."

He studies her for a moment before he nods, reaching up to fist her hair again. He held her close, his lips hovering over his for a moment before he sneaks in a quick kiss. Sakura hears the sounds of pounding feet on the stairs and knows that their moment is about to get interrupted again. She heaves a sigh and cups his cheek quickly before she lets him go. He smoothes her hair back into place and gives her another nod as Naruto reaches the top stair and yells out a greeting. Both ignore him for the moment.

"I'll talk to her and fix things. I'll make sure she gives you a chance. Once she sees how great you are, it will be hard for her to push you away anymore."

Sakura nods, unconvinced but unwilling to say more. He obviously has business he needs to attend to and she can't let her personal problems cloud his judgment. She turns now and greets Naruto with a wave.

"Geez, what's with you two this morning?" Naruto asks as they make their way down the stairs.

Sasuke glares at him. "Shut up," Sasuke deadpans as they reach the main floor where everyone is waiting for them. Hinata immediately makes her way over to them and hooks her arm with Sakura's.

"Come on, there is coffee and breakfast in the kitchen," she said and began pulling her in the direction of the kitchen. Sakura faltered a few steps, dumbly allowing herself to be dragged, before she planted her feet firmly and resists the petite raven.

She turns and reaches out for Sasuke. He goes to her wordlessly, pressing his lips to hers and toys with the hem of his shirt on her for a moment before he pulls back. "Church won't take long. Can you have some coffee waiting for me?"

"Sure," she whispered against his lips and ghosted a hand over his the stubbles on his face. Oddly, she liked to feel of his unshaven face. All of her past boyfriends made it a point to always be clean shaven. She liked that Sasuke didn't care. "I'll make you a plate too," she mumbled.

He smirked devilishly and kissed her passionately. "You're too sweet, darlin'," he said as soon as pulled away.

"You guys are sickening," Itachi said as he deposited his phone in a box outside a pair of double doors. Sasuke flipped him off before pressing a quick kiss to her lips once more and then released her. He followed as both Suna and Konoha boys filed into the room, dropping off their phones before they entered.

Pleased now that she had her goodbye kiss, Sakura hooked arms with Hinata once more who offered her a smile. They entered the kitchen where a few boys were filling around and other woman. Sakura noted that the men were prospects by their cuts and the women eyed her as she entered. She could tell that they were sizing her up, trying to determine what kind of person she was. Sakura ignored the looks, clutching Hinata's just a little but tighter. Hinata gave a comforting smile.

"I wish I could offer you advice," the raven haired woman whispered as they stepped up to the coffee machine, "but I've never dealt with this. I'm not the VP's lady. I'm not the future leader's lady. With me and Naruto, we got together so young that no one questioned me. But you're new and you are with a very important man and they can tell he's serious. People are going to be looking at you, wondering if our future is safe with you."

Sakura nodded, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on her. In particular, she could feel the eyes of a certain blonde woman staring into her back. She nodded in acknowledgment to Hinata, tension making her back stiff.

"Then I guess I'll have to be careful," she whispered back.

Hinata nodded back in a regretful manner. Sakura liked Hinata more and more as the time past. She could see that the woman was truly interested in helping her but she could only offer so much help. Somehow Sakura knew that Tsunade would know what to do about this. She would know how to deal with this. But unless she can somehow bridge the gap between them, there will be no advice and tips. She will be on her own in this.

"So what's your name, pinky?" a voice said and Sakura looked over her shoulder to see it was the blonde woman who spoke. She standing across the room from her, her arms crossed beneath her bust.

Sakura turned leaned against the counter behind her, a mug of coffee in her hand. She took a calm sip, trying to appear strong in front of this woman. "Sakura Haruno," she said coolly, "And you are?"

"Temari Sabaku," she answered with an edge to her tone, as if she expected for her to already know this.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Temari," she said politely and then turned away again, hoping that Temari got the picture that she didn't want to talk. It's wishful thinking.

"So what do you do, Sakura? You know, besides whoring yourself out to Sasuke?"

Hinata gasped and shouted Temari's name in protest. Sakura turned slowly, keeping her calm front while on the inside she fumed. This woman was obviously jealous and Sakura recognized her as the woman she had seen her enter Sasuke's home when she first arrived in town. There was history between them, and Sakura was able to connect the dots to understand, or at least guess, exactly what kind of history they had.

"I'm a surgeon, a respected on at that," she replied evenly. "I specialize in pediatrics and neonatal care. I care for sick babies. What do you do, you know, now that you're not whoring yourself out to Sasuke?" she fired back, guessing at the last part.

The look Temari gave her told her that she hit the nail on the head. She suppressed her smugness at catching her by bringing the coffee cup up to cover her smirk.

"So he told you about us, then?" Temari asked, leaving no question as to who the "he" was in this question.

Sakura shook her head. "Nope, not a word. But I know a scorned lover when I see one," she said evenly.

Hinata chose this moment to speak up as well. "He didn't need to tell her anything. There was nothing to tell. It wasn't a serious relationship in the first place. Why speak of the trash he had already thrown away, especially when he found something way better."

Temari fumed but couldn't say more as the doors to the chapel opened and then boys filed out. A quick stop to recollect their phones and they were soon joining them in the kitchen. Sakura turned at the sound of the doors and quickly poured Sasuke a cup of coffee and busied herself with the plates of food. Within moments she felt familiar hands grip her waist and a warm body press against her.

"How was the meeting?" she asked sweetly, as if the argument hadn't occurred.

She felt him shrug against her before his head came to rest on her shoulder. "Same shit, different day. Just more people this time," he muttered.

She turned in his grasp and pressed the mug to his stomach, prompting him to remove one hand from her waist to take a hold of it. He smiled and gladly took a sip. "Thanks, darlin'."

"What's the plan today?" she asked as she directed him over to one of the tables, their plates in her hands. He took one of the plates off her hands for her they seated themselves next to Naruto and Hinata. Minato, Gaara, and Itachi sat across from them while Temari hovered behind her brother, if only to be close to the main group.

"Well, we are going down to the bike show again but we'll have to leave shortly after. I'll make sure you are taken care of, the prospects with you to make sure you don't get into trouble," Sasuke said while he started into his breakfast.

"And where will you be?" Sakura asked.

"You shouldn't ask questions, girl," Temari suddenly said before Sasuke could speak. Everyone immediately looked up at her, Sasuke staring at her in question.

Sakura glared. "I wasn't talking to you."

Sasuke looked back and forth between the two women, and then glanced at his father and Gaara. Minato gave him a look that told him he probably sleep around so much while Gaara stared at Sasuke wordlessly. He gave a helpless shrug, offering to help to the situation.

"We have club business to attend to," Sasuke suddenly said, grabbing Sakura's attention and breaking the glare off between the girls.

"So, guns?" Sakura whispered and the boys at the table quickly looked up in confusion.

"You told her?" Minato asked, his eyebrows raised in question.

Sasuke nodded easily. "Yeah. I trust her, and we have an agreement. We are going into this with both our eyes open, full disclosure on both ends," he told his father and brothers before he turned his attention back to Sakura. "The Suna charter is a new charter, but strong and trusted. They want a way to make extra cash so we came here for the bike show and to trade some guns. We are going to establish a link with a branch of our providers and then set them up with some customers."

Sakura nodded and then leaned towards Sasuke. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "Just be careful," she said quietly though still loud enough to be heard. She turned her head and eyed Gaara across the table. "You too. Keep each other safe and watch your backs," she told him.

He nodded. "You don't have to worry about us. You worry about your boy, he's the troublemaker," Gaara joked.

"Don't I know it," she muttered as Sasuke gave that wicked grin and leaned down for a kiss. Sakura was aware of Temari glaring at her before she stomped away, and she couldn't help but feel a little triumphant. Obviously she hadn't been trusted with club business like she was. She smiled, feeling more at ease in Sasuke's arms and a little more than smug.

X X

Sakura soon found herself back in the midst of bike show all over again, surrounded by the chatter of one MC after another and the roar of motorcycles. Hinata stood beside her as they waited in the designated area for the Akatsuki. Beside them was one of the Suna prospects, a burly man almost the size of Naruto with a tribal tattoo on his shaved head. A small distance from them was Temari and the other Suna old ladies, standing close to one another in a tight circle casting dirty looks at Sakura. She ignored it, feeling above them and their petty misgivings about her. She had won the little battle this morning and the rest could wait.

Sasuke and the other boys had left some time ago though Hinata kept reassuring her that they should be back any minute. Until then they kept close to the prospect so that he could protect them from anyone who wished them any harm (though they didn't think there was any here in Suna) or the unwanted sexual advancements of fellow bikers looking for an old lady.

Sakura had already noticed two men circling the area, eying her and the club. The first man she could tell was looking for some tail. Every time she felt a heated, lustful gaze upon her, she would turn and make eye contact with the same man. He wore a blank cut, affiliated with no MC. Every time he got caught he gave a devilishly smirk that didn't even come close to Sasuke's. She would turn away and he would disappear only to circle back on his bike a few minutes later, trying to impress her.

Honestly, Sakura almost wanted to get an Akatsuki tattoo just so people would back off. She had noticed that people back down when they noticed Hinata tattoo, a simple tattoo on her wrist that read REAPER and then a set of dates. When Sakura asked, Hinata told her the first date was when she and Naruto started dating and the second was when she became his old lady. She's going to add another when they get married, she told her, that is if Naruto ever gets his act together enough to give her a ring. They have been on the cusp of marriage for years now but Naruto's not ready yet. But Hinata knows him; he'll get it together soon enough.

The other man that Sakura noticed was watching her put her on edge more than some creep trying to impress her. She noticed that he didn't come around as often as the creep did, but he was definitely circling. The first time she noticed Fugaku watching her, she had turned away to ward off any indication that it was safe for him to approach. The second time she took notice of him, he was closer to her than last time. He looked as if he wished to approach but stopped when she took a few steps closer to the prospect. She had seen him twice more throughout the day, gradually getting closer with each circuit he made.

She didn't know why he would be watching her like he was. She couldn't think of what he possibly had to say to her. She had nothing to say to him that was for sure. She was siding with Sasuke on this one. That man had abandoned his son, his sick and scared son after the death of his little brother to a disease he didn't understand but knew he had, and that was inexcusable. Sasuke obviously had some issues now, and was pained by living in the shadow of and constantly being compared to a man that he grew up resenting. No matter what this man had to say to her, she wouldn't listen for the sole fact that she hated him for hurting Sasuke, even if it was before she even knew him.

"Give me a minute, ladies. I have to take a piss. You think you'll be good on your own for a minute?" the prospect said to them suddenly.

Hinata nodded. "Yeah, we'll be fine."

He nodded and then quickly assured them he would be right back. They nodded and waved him off. The girls went back to discussing what the boys were like back in high school, Hinata telling stories about some of Naruto's and Sasuke's misadventures and how Hinata got roped into quite a few. Sakura was laughed when she suddenly felt an unfamiliar, warm hand on his waist, drawing her in. She turned, and was unsurprised to see the creep was the one who had a grasp on her.

"You have a beautiful laugh, girly," he said.

"And you have a presumptuous attitude. I suggest you let me go," she deadpanned, trying to be braver than she felt. He was much bigger than her, and without the prospect here to protect her, she would be no match for this guy even if Hinata tried to help.

"Oh, yeah?" he questioned. "You have some fire in you. I respect that."

"Well, that's because she's part of my family. No daughter of mine is a submissive bitch," another voice joined in and everyone turned to see Fugaku Uchiha standing there.

He stepped forward and quickly pulled Sakura from the man's grasp, gently but firmly. He tucked her under his arm in a comfortable manner, as if he had done it a thousand times before. He smiled pleasantly at the man, but it was a mask on top of hostility.

"Daughter, huh? I don't see the resemblance," the man said.

"Daughter-in-law, to be precise. She married my son last year but was raised around the club. Her daddy was a member of the MC, too. She and my son grew up together. Been together for years and has been kicking ass the entire time," he said, lying expertly through his teeth.

The man eyed his blank cut disbelievingly. "MC, huh? Which one?"

The roar of motorcycles rolling in pulled all of their attention and the man suddenly paled at the sight of the Akatsuki rolling in. Sasuke's eyes zeroed in on the scene, as well as Gaara's. Within seconds both were off their bikes and running to get to them. Sakura freed herself from Fugaku and went straight into Sasuke's arms while Gaara grabbed a hold of the man as he attempted to run away.

"Not so fast, Fu. It's nice to see you again. How has desertion been treating you?" he asked calmly.

Sasuke gave Sakura an onceover and then glared at Fugaku for a moment before turning his gaze back to her. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Sakura gripped his cut loosely, looking up at him. "I'm fine. The creep over there snuck up and put his hands on me but Fugaku stepped in to get me away. Both had been circling all day. When Fugaku saw me in trouble he took it as his chance to get close. I'm fine."

Sasuke casted the creep, Fu, a dark glance as some of the other Suna boys now had him in their grasp. He glanced quickly at the eldest Uchiha before he turned away. "Where's the prospect?"

"Bathroom break. We thought we would be okay by ourselves for a few minutes."

Sasuke snorted humorlessly. "Obviously not," he muttered and then gently cradled her head between his hands. "How do you always get into trouble?" he asked before pressing his lips to hers.

"How do you?" she asked as soon as their lips parted.

He shook his head and then tucked her under his arm. He strolled over to Gaara and the creep. He looked over the man, finding him oddly familiar but he couldn't place where. He turned to Gaara. "You know him?"

Gaara nodded. "Yeah, he was part of our MC when you were here helping us get established. He stood in the back, kept to himself. When you left, the weight of being part of the Akatsuki got the better of him and he ran, deserted the club. He left one of our guys in the lurch when he did it and now he's doing time."

"I'm sorry," Fu said, his eyes no longer arrogant and lustful but instead terrified as he looked at the Suna charter president and the VP of the maiden charter. "I'm sorry, so very sorry. I didn't mean to leave things that way and I didn't know she was your old lady. I'm sorry," he babbled.

Sasuke's eyes studied the man, pausing when he noted that how the man's long sleeved shirt had ridden up slightly as the Suna men held me. He released Sakura wordlessly and stepped forward, grabbing his arm and wrenching the fabric up to expose the inked skin. On his forearm was an intricate reaper tattoo, the Akatsuki name proudly on printed on the bottom of it. Fu looked at his exposed arm and then glanced up with an even more frantic look.

"No, please. I was going to get it blacked out. I was going to do it soon. I have an appointment. Please, I have an appointment. Have mercy, please," he begged. Other MCs stood by and watched but did nothing to help this man or encourage the club rather. They were just observers, staring with knowing looks.

Sakura was suddenly pulled back, away from the scene unfolding. She found Hinata's hands pulling her way. "Come on, this isn't going to be pretty."

"I don't understand. What's going on?" she asked.

Hinata pulled her away. "Please, I don't know if I can tell you. It's club business. But trust me when I say it's not pretty."

Sakura shook her head. "Sasuke tells me everything."

Hinata tugged again. "Then let him tell you later. For now, let's just go and let them handle it."

Naruto was suddenly at their side, his face serious for once. He passed Hinata a pair of car keys and then gave a quick but urgent kiss. "Go; get her and the other ladies out of here. Go straight to the clubhouse and stay there. We'll be there as soon as we can." Hinata nodded and towed her away as Naruto walked at a fast pace in the other direction.

Sakura was pushed into a black car while Temari and two other women jumped into the back seat. The other old ladies went to another car and quickly exited the crowded area, Hinata pulling out of their parking spot and following closely behind. Sakura looked out the back window at the fading figures of the club. She noted that they were loading Fu into the back of the plain black van. Sasuke jerked his head and Fugaku reluctantly hopped in as well. Soon they were locked away and the boys mounted their bikes, making their exit quickly, moving in the opposite direction in which they were traveling.

Sakura was suddenly scared and very, very confused.

X X

Gaara led the way to an unmarked and deserted area. The club owned the land under a different name and account, paying under the table in order to get it. It was the perfect location to do the seedier club business, out in the middle of nowhere and completely off the map. It was a place no one would disturb them. And for this sort of business, they were going to need the assurance that they won't be disturbed.

They parked the van in front of the "warehouse" where they would be housing their guns soon. For now, thought, they were going to put it to a different use. With their bikes parked and opened the van to reveal a silent Fugaku sitting calmly on the small bench and a sobbing Fu. The men roughly pulled Fu out of the van while Fugaku came out willingly, walking on his own accord into the warehouse.

They dumped Fu on the concrete floor of the nearly empty room. There was a drain in the floor beside him and some chains hanging from the rafters. The chains had been there from the days that this building was a working factory. Now, it was just an abandoned building that the club was putting to their own use.

"Please, have mercy," Fu begged.

Gaara ignored his begging. "You deserted the club. You don't deserve to wear our emblem on your skin. You had your chance to black it out but you didn't. Now we have to remove it."

"Knife or fire, your choice," Sasuke said with no hint of mercy or even pity in his voice. Fu just sobbed more, unable to answer. Sasuke sighed impatiently. "You choose or we choose for you."

"Please," he choked out.

Naruto stepped up to his brother, idly flipping a coin into the air and then catching it. Minato stood back and let his sons, the future of the club, take point on his one. They offered the man another chance to choose and then looked to one another.

"Heads for fire, tails for knife," he said before tossing the coin into the air and catching it quickly, holding a hand over the coin for suspense.

"Anyone wanna take bets?" Sasuke asked the room, the men standing around in a circle around this man. Sasuke turned slowly, looking over them quickly. "No takers?" he asked.

"Don't know about you, but I'm hoping for fire. We have a nice welding torch hooked up and ready to go. I've been aching to test it out," Kankuro said beside his brother. Fu let out another chocked sob at the thought.

Naruto wordlessly lifted his hand and glanced at the now exposed coin. "Heads, you get your wish," he said and then showed Sasuke as proof. Sasuke nodded his head in approval and then gestured for Kankuro to take point.

"You can do the honors then," he said calmly, all business.

He was extremely aware of Fugaku watching him, watching as he sentenced a man to tortuous pain seemingly without a care. He was well aware that he grew up to be exactly what his biological father never thought he would be, the very thing the man thought him too weak to be. He was the embodiment of an Akatsuki member right now, strong, ruthless and willing to get dirty for the sake of the club. This will not be the first time has dirtied his hands or watched some gruesome act for the club. It certainly won't be the last either. When he wore this cut, this is what he will face until he retires and hangs it up. This is the life he has chosen. The very life he grew up in as the son of the president. The life his son may decide to join as well when the time comes.

Kankuro looked briefly to his brother for acceptance and received a quick nod. Kankuro nodded as well, stepping up. "Chain him up and fetch the torch," he told a few of his men. Two men stepped up and grabbed the sobbing man, pulling the chains down to string him up. Another man disappeared to fetch the torch.

"Check him for more ink," Sasuke said to the two men stringing him up. They nodded and ripped at his clothes to expose his flesh. Sasuke's trained eyes quickly narrowed in on the red cloud tattooed on the better part of the man's upper back. He shook his head in disapproval. "You should have covered that shit the moment you jumped ship, dumbass," he remarked. Fu answered with another sob.

Within moments the man returned with the torch and a pair of goggles. Kankuro pulled the goggles on and lit the torch before tugging on the cord and stepping forward. Wordlessly Sasuke reached out behind him for a bottle of alcohol Itachi had been holding. Once it was in his grasp he stepped up and splashed the tattooed skin, careful not to step too close to Kankuro and the flame. He stepped in front of Fu, making him look him directly in the eyes as he took a large sip from the bottle. Once the burning liquid was down his throat he gave a quick nod to the Suna VP.

Sasuke stared into Fu's eyes as the flame first met the skin of his back and the man screamed. He thrashed around, trying to squirm away from the pain but the chains held him in a tight, unforgiving grasp. Everything was silent besides the deafening screams erupting from the man in front of him, the clinking of chains as he twisted and the constant whoosh of the torch. Sasuke took another sip calmly, seemly unaffected by the display even as the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air and then man's screams quieted as he began to lose consciousness.

Kankuro finished with the man's back as quick as he could, the skin burnt and charred so that it completely obscured the tattoo. He moved quickly onto the man's arm, able to do that task easily as Fu as no longer struggling and was completely out cold.

He extinguished the flame as soon as the task was down and he lifted his goggles up to rest on his forehead. The men that had tied him up came forward to collect him, removing a brand new and sterile blanket from a wrapped package and throwing it over his body. They carried him away, dragging him out to the van again. They would drop him in the hospital parking lot and get out of there before they are seen. Fu knew how the club worked, he would heal, scarred but still alive, and never speak a word of the incident in fear that they would came after him again. They spared him this time. He won't be so lucky next time.

Sasuke then looked to his biological father. "I hope for your sake that you had the sense to get your tattooed covered."

Fugaku lifted his sleeve, the reaper tattoo that used to be on his arm was completely covered with black ink, now just an odd shape on his arm. He then opened his shirt to show his pectoral, his other tattoo now covered with an intricate design with several names in it. Sasuke read it quickly. _Itachi_, _Sasuke_, _Obito_, _Rina_, _Kazuo_, and _Aiko_. A lump formed in Sauske's throat as he realized that they were the names of all of his children. The two boys he abandoned, the son who passed, and then three more kids he probably raised while his other family was left in the lurch- a girl, a boy, and another girl.

Minato stepped forward. "You're smart then. You won't have to taste our blades or our torch like our idiot friend out there." Fugaku nodded emotionlessly.

Minato looked over his men. "Come on now. Let's get back to the clubhouse. We can send a prospect out here to clean this shit up."

The boys nodded in agreement and filed out of the room, going to their bikes. Sasuke stopped as he was about to pass Fugaku and stood in front of him. He stared at him evenly, took a large gulp of alcohol and then tilted his head back slightly to lift his chin arrogantly.

"I'm never going to forgive you for abandoning us, no tattoo is ever going to convince me that you care. But I'm an honorable man who gives his appreciation when it is deserved. You got my lady out of a sticky situation. Thank you. It doesn't change anything, but thank you."

And then he walked away without another word or a glance back. Itachi and Minato were waiting for him at the door. They gave him a pat on the back as he past, but he didn't acknowledge it as he quickly mounted his bike next to Naruto. He tossed the alcohol to his blonde brother, who took a large gulp and then tucked it away so he could drive.

Minato paused in the doorway to the warehouse for a moment. "Jump in the back of the van with the other boys. Tell them I order for you to be dropped off back at the bike show after the do the drop at the hospital," he told Fugaku, who nodded after a moment and then exited the building and slowly climbed back into the van.

Minato mounted his bike and then looked to Sauske once before he signaled for Gaara. Soon they were all rolling out, the four leaders- Minato, Sasuke, Gaara and Kankuro- leading the pack back to the clubhouse.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed and weren't too upset by the tattoo removal. I took it from the show, so it wasn't such a far fetched idea.<strong>

**Well, review and tell me what you think.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, this probably won't happen again, but early update. Non stop writing for me these past few days. Don't expect another quick update though. I'm not that good.**

**This chapter is for **CherryLove212**. They reviewed and told me their birthday is coming soon. So Happy Early Birthday! I gift you with a chapter. Enjoy!**

**This hoping someone will do me the honor of making this story a cover. You'll be my best friend.**

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

The Weight of the Club

Sakura awoke slowly, the room still dark as it was obvious that it was extremely early. She should still be sleeping, like Sasuke was. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, his arms tight around her, holding her. Their usual position had switched last night. Instead of her sleeping on him, he slept on her. His head was cushioned on her breast with an arm at her waist and the other holding her hand. Her free hand rested on his head, where she had fallen asleep stroking his messy hair. Idly she was amazed at how still he was in his sleep. Once he was out, he was out, completely dead to the world.

Without moving too much she was able to glance up at the clock to see it was a little past seven. She should be sleeping still. She wanted to be sleeping still, but she knew sleep would not come to her now. Instead she will lay with in her Sasuke's grasp, her mind still swirling with what happened last night.

She had been an anxious mess, worried and anxious for Sasuke's and the boys return. Hinata still refused to tell her what was happening and she was left to just sit and wonder, her mind coming up with many terrible, terrible things. She imaged the boys would burst through the door any moment, dragging their wounded. She imaged Sasuke shot or stabbed or something, coated in blood and leaving a bloody trail everywhere he went. She imagined trying to stop his bleeding without her first aid kit with all of her supplies and had even paced around the club for a half hour, eying different tools she could possibly use to stitch up wounds or stop massive hemorrhaging without the proper tools.

She had already decided that she would use the large table in the chapel as her worktable, located towels to act as gauze, located a very small first aid kit with practically nothing in it, and found a knife she had deemed worthy enough to be used as a makeshift scalpel when the doors swung open and the boys marched in. She was relieved to note that no one seemed to be injured but she noted that they seemed to be in a somber mood. Sasuke especially, she noticed when her eyes finally spotted him.

He was puffing intensely on a cigarette, the stub burnt down nearly to nothing. He immediately went to an ashtray and stubbed it out before reaching into his pocket and grabbing another. An old lady was sitting next to him now, quickly reached out with a lit flame before his could pull out his lighter. He bent forward, lighting the stick while keeping it between his lips and took a long puff. He nodded his head in thanks, and maybe even approval as the woman beamed as if she had sealed a pleasant future by getting on his good side, before he turned away from her and looked around the room. His eyes found her, his face carefully blank but she could somehow tell he wanted something. She went to him without hesitation.

He didn't give her a kiss like she expected, only grabbed her hand and led her over to a low table in the center of the room. He pulled out two chairs quickly, facing one another, and the plopped down in one wordlessly with his legs parted wide. Sakura quickly took the other while his long legs stretched out, one of his feet slipping into the gap between her ankles to rest under her chair. He took another long drag and released it into the air while the other boys sat down around them, quietly chatting about nothing of importance.

She looked to him for explanation but got nothing except a blank face and a tired posture. Their hands were still linked, tightly for her and almost lazily for him, but he didn't seem to be paying attention to much of anything even her. He was staring into space, a contemplative look on his face as he stared over his father's shoulder. She continued to wait, knowing that they were not alone and it was best to stay silent and wait for him to speak to her. She had a feeling he would speak only of what happened only when they were alone and he did not feel the pressure of being the VP.

Temari suddenly approached, hovering nearby them. "Did everything go well?"

Sasuke waved the hand holding the cigarette in the air dismissively while Gaara looked up from his quiet mutterings with Minato. He eyed his blonde sister and then dismissed her as well; something she didn't seem to like as her shoulder tensed and an angry look crossed her face.

"Don't worry about it," he muttered before returning to his conversation.

She huffed angrily. "Don't worry, you say. Of course I'm going to worry. It was my two brothers and the love of my life out there doing god knows what."

Sasuke's hand suddenly came alive, squeezing her hand tightly. Sakura looked at their clasped hand and then up to him. His shoulders were tense now, his eyes shut tight and his jaw clenched. Sakura rubbed circles on the back of his hand with her thumb, trying to sooth him. His hand twitched in her grasp but did not loosen.

Temari was looking at him now while he was making an effort to ignore her. She stepped closer but his eyes snapped open to glare at her before she could get much closer. She halted a few steps away, uncertain before she gained her nerve again.

"I wanna know what happened tonight," she stated to Sasuke, her hands firmly planted on her waist.

Another old lady came to the table carrying shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey. She passed out the glasses and then quickly filled them. Sasuke gladly took his offered one and knocked it back, slamming it down on the table when it was empty. He toyed with the glass, spinning it.

"Don't worry about it, club business," he muttered.

Her eyes narrowed and her face scrunched up. "And I'm sure you are going to tell her, right?" she said while pointing to Sakura. Sakura tensed, but otherwise made an effort to try to look unaffected by the conversation.

Sasuke sighed and before releasing Sakura's hand to rub it down his face. "Yeah, I am, but that's really not any of your business," he muttered.

She sneered. "Oh, that's just great. You're gonna tell your little pinky girlfriend but you won't tell me."

Sasuke sat up straighter, turning to glare at her. "Aye, knock it off. We aren't talking about this. You leave her alone, got it?"

Somehow his defensive response pleased Sakura, liking that he was coming to her aid even when it wasn't required. She could handle some name calling from some jealous girl but it was comforting to know that he had her back even now with the little things. She still didn't feel safe with her ex on the loose but she felt safer with Sasuke by her side. Somehow she felt that he could handle the big things as well as the little things.

Temari snarled and angrily took a step closer. Her face turned red as she was suddenly yelling. "I want to know what happened. Do not dismiss me, you prick!"

Sasuke reacted instantly. The shot glass he had been toying with was suddenly slammed onto the floor. Glass scattered and went flying across the floor but was ignored as Sasuke was suddenly on his feet. He took an angry step forward and Naruto and the Sand brothers were suddenly standing as well to restrain him if needed.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to!?" he yelled.

Everything stopped, watching their VP now. Temari, who was moments before a brave and demanding woman, instantly turned into a shriveling mess. She took several steps back and her hands came up in surrender. Her eyes were wide, afraid, and she was mumbling something like, "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," over and over again.

Sakura quickly reached out and snatched his hand tightly. Her grasp kept him rooted there, but still angry as he pointed an angry finger at Temari. His face was contorted with anger but there didn't seem to be any danger of him striking out against her. The boys still stood at attention though. They knew Sasuke well enough to know that he wouldn't hurt a girl, but they still worried when his anger got the best of him. Naruto eyed Sakura and their linked hands and somehow felt better. She had a calming effect on him, something he had never seen before but trusted.

"You mind your own fucking business, you hear me? I don't have the patience to deal with your big mouth so keep it shut. Club business is club business. You ain't a lady or an old lady so you have no right to know anything, or to be speaking to me as if you are someone important because you aren't," he yelled.

She looked away, staring at her feet for a long moment. Everything was tense, quiet as everyone waited for what would happen next. Temari backed up a few more steps until her back was pressed against the bar and she couldn't move any farther. Very quietly, without looking up, she spoke.

"And that girl, you're going to tell her because she's important?" Her voice was suddenly very small, a voice Sakura didn't even know this strong, annoying, jealous woman was capable of.

Sasuke squeezed her hand, his anger less intense now but still firm. "Yes, she is. And you best remember that next time you decide to open your mouth," he said and then directed his stare around the room to the other old ladies. "That goes to the rest of y'all, too. Mind your business and watch your mouth . . ." he trailed off.

Something suddenly moved in the tense room where everyone else was completely still. Minato leaned back in his chair, seeming completely at ease. He smiled joyfully, almost mischievously.

"You should be mindful of what you say to or about these two," he said to the room. His smile broadened. "I'd bet my retirement fund that you are looking at the future king and queen of this club. It would be in your best interest to remember to get on their good side before they take the throne." He laughed kindly with his smile so wide that little wrinkles formed by his eyes.

Sasuke chose not to comment on his father's remark, but he gave Sakura's hand a little squeeze. He stared at his father's laughing face for a moment before looking at Temari again, his anger almost gone and now just tired. He gestured to the glass on the floor.

"Clean this shit up," he told her and then looked back at his father. "I'm going to bed. Wake me a couple hours before we leave tomorrow," he told his father who only laughed and waved a hand as if to say he was free to go. Sasuke nodded once at Gaara and Kankuro before he gently tugged Sakura to her feet and together they walked hand in hand up the stairs.

Sasuke stripped himself of his clothes as soon as they reached the bedroom and the door closed. He paused when he was in his underwear, glanced at her quickly before he pulled that off as well, muttering an "I sleep better naked," as way of explanation. He crawled under the sheets sluggishly, covering himself and then looking to her with tired eyes expectantly.

Slowly, she stripped her own clothes. She removed her jeans and tank top before grabbing one of Sasuke's shirts out of his bag and tugging that over her head and removing her bra afterwards. Tying her hair into a quick bun, she crawled into bed with him, extremely aware that he was naked beside her. She sat beside him while he turned to stare at the ceiling, quiet and contemplative.

She went to reach out to him but froze when he spoke. "We tortured a man today," he muttered before glanced down at her hand that was frozen in mid-air. He waited a long moment before continuing.

"He deserted the club, left one of our brothers in the lurch. When you do something like that, like what Fugaku did so many years ago, you have to get rid of your club tattoos. It's a sort of pride for us, a right that has to be earned by at least a year of being a prospect to be able to wear our ink. When you desert, you abandon that right to wear the ink so you have to cover it. If you don't, and the club finds out, we will remove it for you."

Sakura was quiet, but slowly retracting her arm. She clasped her hands together in her lap. Instantly she was reminded of Hinata telling her it wasn't pretty. She swallowed thickly, her mind slowly coming to grips that Sasuke indeed did something very ugly today.

"We gave him a choice of cutting the tattoo off with one of our knives or burning it off," Sasuke quietly muttered but then said nothing more. Honestly, she was glad because she didn't want to know which one they used against the man.

Instantly she was afraid and she felt sick. She was a healer, she saved lives every day. And then here was Sasuke, putting people in the hospital in tortuous ways. He wrecked lives, dealt with blood and guns and violence every day. While she worked her tiny fingers inside the tiny chest cavities of newborn babies and young children, he was on the streets brawling and promoting more violence by selling guns. What was she doing here with him? They were complete opposites, living counterproductive lifestyles.

But then Sasuke turned away from her, rolled onto his side facing the wall with his back to her. A hand came up to cover his eyes and he was completely silent, tense with a weight hanging over him. She studied his form, his body language and the fact that he wouldn't look at her as she processed the information. She remembered when he first relieved a little part of his life to her, back in his bedroom the night of the brawl, and how he watched her and looked for signs of fear and rejection. Now, he wouldn't look at her.

Before, he wasn't exactly proud of his life when he revealed it, but he showed no regret. He looked her in the eyes even though he was nervous, but he did it bravely because that was his life. That was what he did and it was something he wasn't going to hide. Now, he wouldn't look at her. He didn't look to see how she reacted, didn't hope for acceptance. He regretted this, he wasn't proud of it. It was weighing heavily on him, hurting him.

Slowly, she laid down behind him and wrapped an arm around him. He tensed and then turned slowly to stare at her over his shoulder in disbelief. His questioning gaze stared back at her, obviously wondering why and how she wasn't turning away from him. He expected her to run away from him screaming, not to hold him in her arms and comfort him.

She tried to express everything she felt in her gaze. She didn't want him to think she thought badly of him. Yes, he did bad things and ran on the other side of the carefully drawn line of socially acceptable good and bad. He lived in a gray area, where he did things that was considered bad but for a good reason. It was different from what she was used to, but she could see that he was a good guy. He lived a complicated life but he was essentially good to his core. She saw this, was charmed by him, and knew that he would protect her and care for her like no other ever would. She would not run from him when she felt this deep connection to him. Her heart did not lie. Whether he lived on the straight and narrow or danced for the devil, she wouldn't, and couldn't, deny that she could someday say she loves him.

Her hand rested on his chest and then his came up to grip her wrist gently. She bent forward to press her lips to his shoulder as he stared at her. "I'm still not going anywhere," she whispered almost inaudibly against his skin.

"Why?" he whispered.

She smiled, refusing to look him in the eyes as she spoke. "Because you're strong and ruthless in that cut. But behind that cut, behind the front, you are a good man. I'm not going to run because you have to wear your cut, I know you have responsibilities and it won't always be pretty. But I'm going to stand by you because I know that goodness in you will keep you afloat."

He stared at her in wonder to a long moment before he turned, rolling gently onto his back. He reached up and delicately, so light she barely felt it, ran his fingertips over her cheek and treaded through her hair. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, familiar jolts coursing through her body. It was a simple kiss but the sentiment behind it was anything but. They had reached a new point in their relationship and that kiss sealed the deal. They could live comfortably with one another, no fear of fleeing when things got ugly. Sakura could deal with the life he led, could give him support when he needed it just like he would support her. They had trust.

They stayed awake for awhile longer. Sakura held Sasuke, who was still troubled by his day, until he fell asleep and then fell asleep once she was sure he was out. Now they lay, thinking over the night and her decision to stay. She didn't regret it, she felt strongly for Sasuke, but that didn't stop her from worrying about where this new life would take her. It was a serious decision she had made to stay with him last night. She has officially involved herself with the club, and Minato's comment last night was ringing in her head.

He saw the connection they had and saw a future for them. He saw Sasuke as President and she as his old lady, the future king and queen.

She wasn't ready for that but now that she made her decision, it was more important than ever for her to learn the ropes. She was going to need Tsunade on her side if she was going to be able to live this life. Minato has been grooming Sasuke for years to step into his shoes. Now Sakura was faced with someday stepping into Tsunade's shoes and without the queen's help now, she is going to be completely lost when it came time for Minato to retire.

She sighed heavily, taking a hand and rubbing at her temple to relieve a headache she felt forming. Sasuke stirred in his sleep, rolling away from her so that he was pressed to her side rather than on top of her. He yawned and then blinked a few times as he stared at her, his face a few inches from hers.

"Morning, sweetheart," he muttered.

She smiled softly and pressed her lips to his quickly and chastely. "Good morning."

Her stared at her intensely, her gaze seeking. The events of last night seemed to slowly come back to him and gave her an imploring look, silently asking her if she had changed her mind. She shook her head slowly, closing the small gap to kiss him once more. He responded immediately, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth without much resistance. Their tongues tangled seductively and shiver ran down Sakura's spine as she felt his hands grip her waist possessively.

He pulled away suddenly and gave her a measured look, waiting. She stared back at her, wondering what he was waiting for her to do when she felt his hands slip from her waist to grope her ass. He cupped her, still watching for a reaction. She relaxed, feeling that this was okay. He continued to stare at her when began to pull her flush against him. His hardened core pressed against her panty clad core and she was reminded that he had slept naked now. He watched for any signs of resistance or rejection. She knew instantly as she looked into his eyes that if he saw even the slightest hint that she wasn't ready he would stop and that comforted her. She wasn't ready to go all the way, but this, this she could do. She reached out and cupped his ass through the sheet before moving it up his back, tracing the tattoo she knew that was there very lightly.

He smiled briefly before he kissed her gently as his hips began to move. He started slow, a sensual grind of their heated lower regions. It was surprisingly intimate. His kisses were heated, but gentle and spoke of promises of the future by the simple touches. There was a slow, but mounting friction as they rubbed against one another and it didn't take long for either to get extremely aroused. His hand pulled gently at her hair and her nails scraped the skin of his back as the coil in her lower stomach tightened. They panted hotly between kisses and Sakura moaned as she felt her release slowly climbing.

"Sasuke," she pleaded, digging her nails into his back.

"I know, darlin'," he muttered against her lips, rocking a little faster. "I know," he repeated.

And then there was a knocking on the door and her concentration was instantly shattered. Sakura groaned, her arousal fading fast by the knowledge that someone was on the other side of that door. The brain is the largest female sex organ, after all, and little distractions can make it nearly impossible for a blissful release. As soon as that knock registered in her head, the released that was building was out of the question for her.

Sasuke groaned too, his hips stilling as his head settled on her collarbone. He could probably ignore it and keep going but he would stop because it was no fun if it was only him getting off. After a long moment and a deep breath, he shifted. He came to hover over her momentarily, careful not to rest his weight on her. She was now directly on her back, looking up as he looked down at her. He clutched her face between both hands, bending down to press his lips to hers in an apologetic and caring kiss as the person on the other side of the door knocked again. For a slight moment, just as the kiss was ending, he pressed himself against her again to show her he was still painfully hard before he was gone.

She watched from the bed, sitting up slowly and regretfully as he stood naked in front of the door and slowly unlocked it. With a quick glance back at her, probably to be sure that she wasn't exposed somehow, before he opened the door enough for his head to poke out while he stood behind the door.

"Hey, old man, good morning," he greeted casually as if he hadn't interrupted anything.

"Morning, son. We are going to roll out in about two hours. That should give you two time to get ready and then say your time to the boys. And you know, talk to Gaara and Kankuro. After last night and everything to said to their sister, you should make sure to smooth things over." Sakura heard Minato say from on the other side of the door.

Sasuke nodded, leaning out more so that his naked hip was visible. "Were they upset last night? I didn't stop to check."

Sakura couldn't see him but she imagined the older man shrugging. It just seemed sort of like a Minato-like gesture. "They didn't seem like it, but I'd do it just to be sure. They like you; you are almost an honorary member of their family, more than any of us. But that is their blood sister you were yelling at. Men are known for being very protective of their sisters."

Sasuke nodded and ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, I'll smooth it out. I don't wanna damage our relationship over Temari. I'll make sure everything is hunky-dorey by the time we leave."

"Alright son . . .," Minato said while trailing off after a moment. "Did I interrupt anything?" he asked after a moment.

Sasuke looked down and then stepped back behind the door. Minato must have noticed his naked hip. Sasuke shook his head, a hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. "Nope," he answered simply though it was a lie.

Minato laughed loudly and Sakura could hear his heavy boots on the hardwood floor as he began to retreat. "Sure, son, sure. Have fun but don't take too long," he said before laughing again.

Sasuke pushed his arm through the open gap to flick his father off before he closed the door. He turned then to face her, unashamed of his naked form. He had softened while he spoke to his father. He stepped close to her so he stood directly in front of her and her head about level with his stomach. He ran a hand over her hair, his fingers coming to rest under her chin so that he could direct it up towards his face. Her heart thumped unevenly, her mind slowly coming to terms with everything that had happened that morning and the fact that she was now sitting directly in front of a naked Sasuke.

He bent down slowly and pressed his lips to hers ever so gently and she could practically feel all coherent thought falling out of her head. She kissed him back deeply, trying to express every muddled feeling he stirred within her. Never before had a person rocked her to the core like he did. The simplest of touches could send her into a tailspin. She had always imaged what love would feel like and it was nothing like this but she knew this was the closest her had ever gotten to love. She felt out of control, free falling into him. Sure, she wasn't quite at love yet, or if she was she wasn't at the point in which she could admit it, but he definitely stirred something in her. She had never realized she hadn't felt whole until she met him, until his lips danced with hers. She had never felt as alive as she did when she was with him.

She could love him. They could live in a sick happily ever after as king and queen of the Akatsuki Motorcycle Club.

She suddenly didn't care that it was all happening so fast or that she still wasn't ready to give herself to him. She knew then that when she was finally able to admit that she loved him, when she truly felt it and was absolutely sure that he was the one for her, she would give in and give herself. Whether it was in a few weeks or a few months, she would give herself to him completely, in every sense of the word. She would face her proudly saw that she was Sasuke Uchiha's old lady, the woman who he chose to live the rest of his life with. She wouldn't worry about it, she decided as his lips meshed with hers. She was already too far in, her heart already too far compromised, to care or worry about where they were going, or why, or how he had squirmed his way into her heart so quickly. It had happened and now she was faced with simply going with the flow of things.

He broke the kiss with a groan, hanging his head with regret. "You are just too beautiful. You're driving me nuts here, sweetheart. If you continue to kiss me then we are never going to leave this bedroom."

She laughed cheekily, giving him her best dazzling smile. "Well that wouldn't be good. I'm sure the Suna boys will eventually want their room back." She snuck in a quick chaste kiss before she stood and stepped away from him before he drew her back in. "I'm going to take a shower."

He groaned and then nodded, flopping back onto the bed while she grabbed clothes and her toiletry bag. "Yeah, but be quick. I have to jump in too before we leave."

She nodded and quickly went into the attached bathroom. For a moment she thought about inviting him into the shower with her but thought it better not to. She may have been able to stop it the other night, but after how this morning was going and recent revelations, she didn't know if she would be able to resist. Even her will power was not that great. Still, didn't stop her from undressing in front of the open door, feeling brave and more confident that she had ever felt before, where she could feel him watching her. She was feeling brave now, and she knew the feeling wasn't going to last when they exited this bedroom and their own little bubble, so she took advantage of it.

She showered quickly to avoid giving herself time to think and then wrapped herself in a clean towel. She was standing at the sink, combing out her hair when Sasuke entered and went straight to the shower. It was a similar scene to when she spent the night, she realized. She was finishing up drying her hair when he stepped out of the shower and quickly dried himself. With a quick kiss, he exited the bathroom to go get dressed and she smiled to herself as she realized they were building a routine.

With a dusting of makeup and dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a shirt with a jacket overtop while Sasuke dressed in a baggy sweat shirt and jeans with his cut overtop, they made their way down the stairs. There was activity everywhere, when they entered. The Konoha boys were milling around, their bags in a collection on the large table in the center of the room. Some of the Suna boys were already drinking even though it wasn't even past eight thirty in the morning. Naruto and Minato were standing with Gaara and Kankuro and Minato smiled cheekily as soon as he saw them.

"Finally dragged yourselves out of bed?" he laughed.

"You're going to be trouble, aren't you?" Sakura joked to the older man.

He shrugged innocently. "It's a father's job to tease his children. You're family now; I have to make up for lost time with you while also getting to tease Sasuke as well. Two birds with one stone sort of thing," he explained as if it justified his behavior. Sakura shook her head with a smile while trying to ignore the warm feeling in her stomach at being called family.

Sasuke looked to one of the prospects hanging around. "We left our bags in the room. Bring it down for us, will ya?" he asked without really asking. As a member of the club, he could tell them to bend over and they would without question. They really had no choice in the tasks they are given to them.

"Do you mind getting me a cup of coffee? I want to talk to Gaara and Kankuro and I don't know how well it will go over having you stand beside me while I talk about their sister," he was suddenly whispering into her ear.

She nodded. "Yeah, and I'll find Hinata while I wait for you," she replied before giving him a kiss and departing into the kitchen. Some of the old ladies were standing around the kitchen when she entered and Sasuke watched just long enough to see that they weren't going to mess with her after last night. He walked away when one woman approached Sakura at the coffee machine and introduced herself.

He approached the Sand brothers and quickly asked for a private moment with them. Minato nodded and clasped a hand on Naruto's shoulder, who looked confused, before dragging the young blonde away. Sasuke waited until they were out of ear shot before he turned to his sort of surrogate brothers. They were staring back at him, obviously intrigued by whatever he needed to say.

He sighed and began. "Look, I don't want things to be weird between us. I know things got out of hand last night and there was a lot of yelling. That's your sister and I understand if you guys are angry at me for how I treated her."

The boys sighed. "It's a difficult situation," Gaara muttered.

Kankuro nodded and continued. "We want to be Switzerland because we see it from both sides. Temari really does like you, but we know that that relationship would never last even if she can't see it. Its better that you ended it before it got more complicated."

"She shouldn't have acted the way she did last night, but you shouldn't have torn her down that way either," Gaara commented.

Sasuke nodded regretfully and ran a hand over his face, a gesture he did when he was stress or displeased about something. "Yeah, if I see her before we leave, I'll apologize."

"She owes you and your girl an apology too so don't let her get away without giving you one. She's been messing with your lady" Kankuro stated.

Gaara looked at him seriously. "We can tell that girl is special, which in a way helps us not feel too bad about the whole business with Temari. That relationship was doomed from the start and we can obviously see where you were meant to be when your girl is next to you. We've never seen you so happy with another person beside your son. We can get behind you and her, so hold on to her tightly."

Sasuke smiled. "I intend to."

Kankuro clasped him on the shoulder and drew him into a hug. "We're good, brother. Whatever between argument and disagreements between you and our sister is your business, we are staying out of it. As long as it doesn't come to blows, whether it's you hitting her or more likely her hitting you, we are staying out of it."

Sasuke nodded and hugging him briefly before they pulled away and Gaara stepped into his grasp. "She's hiding stockroom, organizing," he whispered.

Sasuke nodded, pulling away and patting his shoulder before he moved away from them. He went straight to the stockroom, wanting to talk to Temari before Sakura found him again. The stockroom was nothing more than a small room down a small hallway between the kitchen and the chapel. As soon as he neared the door he could hear things being moved around. The door was cracked when he approached so he lightly tapped his knuckles against the wood and pushed the door open.

He leans against the doorframe as she turned and looks at him. A box sits in her arms, forgotten as she stares at him. Her face is blank though her eyes are almost calculating. She won't give him an inch, he realizes, too hurt to even consider doing it. He won't get an apology today, no matter what Kankuro said. She won't forgive him either, no matter what he says.

Still, he speaks. "You royally pissed me off last night and I said shit that was just plain hurtful. I apologize," he deadpans.

She seems to finally remember the box and sets it down before leaning against the steel shelf unit. Her arms cross under her bust. "That's great but I don't forgive you."

He sighs and run a hand over his face before straightening up to his full height. "Then that's your own problem. I extended an olive branch but if you want to hold onto a stupid grudge, go ahead. You'll just waste your time being angry all the time. When you can be civil call me."

He shrugged and then turned away from her. He paused however when he heard her small voice from behind him. "Do you love her?"

He stared at the floor ahead of him, listening to the loud chatter of the club a little distance from him. He took a deep breath, stalling the inevitable. "Not yet," he whispered back.

"But you could, someday?" she questioned.

He nodded, still not facing her. "It could."

When she spoke next after a long beat of silence, he could hear the lump in her throat and the sniffles as the tears came. "So there really is no hope for us?" He turned now to see her hugging herself, tears streaking down her face and her shoulders shaking. She choked on a sob and he went to her side without hesitation, hating that he was hurting her. He didn't love her or even have strong feelings for her. He never did and never would, but he respected her and he didn't want to see her hurting over some asshole. Even if that asshole is him.

He hugged her tight, pressing his face into her hair and rocking her gently. She clutched at him, sobbing into his sweatshirt. He muttered quiet apologies to her over and over until she calmed. A quiet knock interrupted them and they looked up to see a solemn faced Kankuro staning in the doorway.

"You're dad is looking for you. He wants to roll out soon."

Sasuke nodded and released her. "You okay?" he asked and she nodded slowly.

Kankuro stepped up. "I'll take over. You're girl looks overwhelmed too. All the old ladies are trying to get on her good side."

Sasuke sighed and nodded, exiting the small room to give the siblings a moment and go save Sakura. He spotted her immediately. Her arm was hooked with Hinata's, a cup of coffee in her hand, while two old ladies were standing close, speaking to her but she didn't seem to be paying much attention to them. Hinata was muttering something to her as well, almost idly tracing the tattoo on her wrist but he could tell that they were speaking of it. It wasn't the only Akatsuki tattoo Hinata had, she also had a crow tattoo on her lower back that she got when Naruto when she turned eighteen.

Suddenly Sasuke pictured him and Sakura with some sort of matching tattoo like Naruto and Hinata. He didn't know if Sakura would even go for the idea, as she was a doctor and sort of straight edge comparatively. But he liked the idea of a crow on her, another symbol for the club. It would make mingling easier if MCs could see that she was marked. When they say a Akatsuki tattoo on a girl, they backed up because they knew she was someone important within the club and wasn't some sweetbutt or croweater. She wasn't free territory.

He quickly made his way over to her and Hinata, making some excuse to the oblivious old ladies to drag the girls away. Sakura sighed in relief while Hinata gave a brief nod and made her way over to Naruto. Sakura passed him the now cold coffee in her hands. "You were gone long," she muttered. "You left me alone with all of them. I don't know which I prefer, when they hated my guts and ignored me or when they are sucking up to me as if I have some sway."

He smirked. "You'll have some sway someday and they know it's best to get on your good side. You'll be in my ear so to be on your good side will mean to be on my good side."

Sakura only smiled. "Well then they should leave me alone. I liked them better when they weren't in my face."

Sasuke laughed as he guided them over to where the Konoha boys were all standing. The prospects had already loaded the bags into the van and they were about ready to go. All that was left to do was mount their bikes and roll out.

"You ready?" Minato asked Sasuke.

He nodded. "Yeah, I wanna get home and see my son."

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed. Hope it wasn't rushed. Hope you review.<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi. Hope you didn't wait too long. This is more of a filler chapter, setting up the next chapter. Plus, i wanted to have some Sakura and Aiden fluff. So here it is. Already started on the next chapter. It's more than fifty percent done and already its twelve pages so it may be a little longer than usual. So stay tuned.**

**Thanks to all that has reviewed. Reached a milestone of over 300 reviews. I calculated the average, its 25. 6 reviews per chapeter. That's amazing. Thank you so much, sweethearts! It really means the world to me and i'm just so floored by the response i'm getting by you all. I'm honored, really. Thank you all so much. I love you guys!**

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Domesticated

A three day trip back, and they were finally back within their neck of the woods and Sakura, from her perch behind Sasuke on his motorcycle, noted as the boys seemed to get more anxious and speed up their pace as they got closer and closer to Konoha. Soon they were zooming into the town and navigating the streets with expert ease towards the clubhouse. The auto shop seemed to be open and running smoothly when they turned into the drive because several people, townspeople, stopped to stare at them as they entered.

Sasuke parked between his father and Naruto and quickly killed the engine. He was already looking around as he removing his helmet while Sakura stepped off of the bike. He hung the helmet on his handlebar and brushed a hand over her shoulder quickly before he was jogging off towards the office. Sakura watched him go as she slowly removed her own helmet, questioning his antics.

Sasuke used his knuckles to rasp against the main office door quickly before he pushed it open without waiting for a response. He found his mother at her desk like he expected. She was shuffling through some paperwork and she looked when he entered, a frown marring her face when she was suddenly face to face with the son she had just fought with before he left. He gave a small smile, hoping to convey that he didn't wish to be angry with one another anymore before he looked around for what he came in there for.

He spotted the little foldable and transportable play crib pushed against the wall of the small office. Inside Aiden was lying on his back, cooing happily and failing his limbs around with a stuffed bear in his small cubby hand. The poor bear was covered in drool by now. Sasuke quickly scooped the small boy into his arms, cooing to him and pressing gentle kisses on his head as he whispered how much he missed him. Aiden only cooed in response, probably not sure what was going on but knowing he was getting love and happily soaking it up.

"He's rolling over now," Tsunade said quietly and Sasuke turned to look at her briefly before refocusing on his son.

"You're rolling over now! Oh, you are getting so big and strong now!"

Aiden was already six months old by now so by normal standards, he should have already began to roll over. However, he wasn't a full term baby so his developmental milestones were a few weeks behind that of a full term baby. Because he was born ten weeks early, essentially he is ten weeks behind. Instead of being almost six and half months old, he is as developed as a four month old. The doctors assured Sasuke that this was all normal and shouldn't have any long last effects and that as he grows it will be less apparent compared to his peers. Still, it was a worry of his.

Aiden just cooed happily and Sasuke sighed contently at finally having his son back in his arms. He had missed him more than he was willing to admit and he was just happy to finally be home.

With a hesitant smile, he looked to his mother. "Thanks for taking care of him."

She nodded. "We're family. It's what we do, baby," she said after a moment.

He nodded and focused on his son for a long moment. He gently bounced the boy in his arms, twisting his body ever so slightly as he did so. Aiden let out a giggle and lifted a hand to grab at Sasuke's face. The father only laughed and kissed his son's hand while Tsunade watched.

"You look just like your father," she suddenly muttered and Sasuke snapped his attention to her.

She was smiling sadly at him. Sasuke knew that she loved Minato, loved him dearly. They kept each other whole through raising three boys, three troublemaking boys who never made anything easy for them, while simultaneously ruling over the club and all the shit that came with that. But he also knew how Fugaku held a special part in her heart. She was so young when she met him, an older man, and she had been charmed by him. He roped her into this lifestyle, introduced her to his sons and loved her wholly before he ran off and left her with two broken boys. She was angry for a long time, but through her anger she will always love him, even if she loves Minato more.

"He was always so good with you boys," she said quietly.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment before he looked away from her. Somehow he couldn't look at his mother as he broke the news to her. "Yeah, and I'm sure he was real good with his three new kids too."

There was a moment's pause, no doubt in confusion, before she spoke again. "What?"

The only sound in the room was Aiden's baby noises. The boy had now latched onto the dog tag around Sasuke's neck and was sucking on the Reaper as they spoke. "He has three more kids now, two girls and a boy. I only saw one of them, a girl only a few years younger than me. They were at the bike show together."

There was an unpleasant silence between them. "How bad did you kick his ass?" she asked after a moment.

Sasuke snorted and then answered in a baby voice as he directed his answer at Aiden. "Daddy didn't touch him, right Aiden? Daddy was a good boy just like him. Right, my good little boy? I was a good boy."

Tsunade snorted and was suddenly standing at his side. Her hands were on her hips and she stared at him disbelievingly. In her impossibly high heels, she was only a little shorter than him. "You didn't touch him? Why don't I believe that?"

Sasuke sighed. "Well, I did try to punch him but he dodged it at the last minute. The boys held me until Sakura calmed me down."

Tsunade's eyes widened and a guarded expression crossed her face. She pressed her lips into a tight frown and then narrowed her eyes. "Sakura calmed you down, huh?"

Instantly Sasuke was on guard. "Look, don't start, Ma. I want to sit down with you and talk this through. It's real important to me that you hear me out on this."

He didn't give her a chance to argue. He began to walk away, thanking her again for watching Aiden and telling her that he would meet her for lunch tomorrow to talk it out. He expected her to be there. And then he was gone, out the door and heading back to the cluster of people still in the driveway. Family members were milling around, greeting their husbands and fathers after their trip. Sasuke spotted Sakura standing beside Minato, Hinata, and Naruto while they chatted with Jiraiya.

He approached them quickly and Sakura beamed brightly as soon as she saw a familiar baby in his arms. She was at his side in an instantly, leaned in to greet his son. "Hey, baby, I've missed your beautiful face." Aiden giggled.

Aiden was soon passed to Sakura, who held him close to her heart as he cooed and wiggled in her grasp. She was peppering him with sweet, playful kisses and he was soaking it up. Even with the life Sasuke held, the tough terrible life that he had, he knew Aiden would be taken care of. The boys worshipped him-Suna and Kohoha charters alike-, his grandparents spoiled him relentlessly and were always there to help out when Sasuke needed help (because they were Uchiha-Namikaze, they took care of their own and didn't let strangers care for their children. Why get a nanny or sitter when you had family?), and of course he was there, and now Sakura. There was no loss of love for Aiden Uchiha in this life.

Everyone lingered in the lot for a while longer before Minato, with Tsunade on his arm, shouted over the voices. "Alright boys, church in fifteen. You can have the rest of the day with your families after."

Sasuke sighed and leaned down to kiss his son's head. Sakura held him the boy a little closer. "Do you wanna wait around or do you wanna head home?" Sasuke asked her.

Sakura shrugged. "I could go for some coffee. Why don't I just go, get coffee, and then head home? We can meet up later when you are done with church. I need to start the laundry anyways and check my phone. I left it on your bed before we left. I probably have a thousand messages from my mom and brother."

Sasuke nodded with a small smile on his face and then dug his keys out of his pocket while gesturing for the prospect to come over. "Sure. I don't think church will take long. Here, take my keys. Since your car dead, you can use the Cutlass. My house keys are there too so don't go to your house. I'll have the prospect with you, just in case, of course."

Sakura nodded. "Sure. Sounds good." She didn't mind Konohamaru and trusted him more than the Suna prospect that walked away from her and led to trouble. He was a good kid, a little younger than her and a little naïve compared to all the other boys in the club, but likable. She hung out with the boys enough to see that Konohamaru was teased relentlessly by them, but overall he was treated better than the Suna prospects. The boys liked him, even with his naivety and sometimes odd (and usually failed) attempts to get on their good side.

Beside them, though ignored, Konohamaru nodded at the indirect order from Sasuke. The raven haired man looked down at his son in Sakura's arms. "Do you mind taking him with you? I have my bike so I won't be able to take him and the car seat is in the Cutlass."

Sakura smiled down at the boy in her arms. "No, I'll take this cutie. It's no big deal."

Sasuke nodded and leaned in press his lips against her forehead. Together, they walked over to where the Cutlass was parked in the lot. The prospect quickly rushed to the van and retrieved their bags before he followed them to the car and placed them in the trunk. Sasuke stood back and watched as Sakura secured his son into the car seat before she straightened up to lean against the open car door. She smiled up at Sasuke, who stood on the other side. "Church shouldn't take long," he promised.

She shrugged. "I know you have your responsibilities. Aiden and I will be at the house waiting for you," she said.

He smirked devilishly and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. It was a quick kiss, over within seconds, but they each pulled away with a smile. "I'll see you soon. Be careful," he said and then held the door open for her as she got in. She waved a hand at him dismissively as he closed the door for her and leaned in through the open window to look at Aiden.

"I'll see you soon, Buddy," he promised and then stole one more quick kiss from his pink haired lady before straightening up and backing up to allow her to pull out. Konohamaru had already mounted his own bike, a white cheap thing that he was riding until he patched in and got a proper, black Harley with some sort of Akatsuki symbol on it like the rest of them. Sakura pulled out of the parking spot and waited for Konohamaru to pull up behind her before she drove off, a quick hand out the window to wave goodbye. Sasuke watched her go, ignoring Naruto's yells in the background as he bitched about Sakura getting to drive his car when he couldn't.

He started for the clubhouse in his usual clam swagger but paused when he noted his mother standing in the doorway to the clubhouse. She was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest and her gaze contemplative. No doubt she had watched the whole thing. Sasuke stared her down for a moment before he continued on his way.

Sakura paused at the end of the block at the stop sign and quickly popped her head outside the window to look at Konohamaru. "I'm stopping to get coffee before I head to the house," she informed him over the roar of his motor. It was quieter than Sasuke's and the boys' bikes because Konohamaru's bike was really such a toy comparatively.

He nodded and gave a sort of joking salute. "Just lead the way, Doc."

She quickly leaned back into the car and navigated the car down the gradually more familiar streets. She was very familiar with the small café diner so she was able to get there with no difficulties. She parked out front while Konohamaru pulled up next to her and killed his engine. He waited as separated the carrier from the car seat, keeping Aiden buckled inside as she wasn't going to take long. She closed the car door and locked it quickly before the two of them entered the small café, Konohamaru holding the door open for her.

She went straight to the counter and set the carrier down on one of the car stools situated at the counter though she was careful to keep her hand on the handle so the carrier didn't shift and fall. Konohamaru leaned against the counter beside her, drumming his fingers as Kimi finished up with a customer and came over to serve them. The girl's eyes brightened when she spotted her friend but then quickly changed to shock and confusion when she noted Konohamaru and Aiden with her.

She stared at her with wide eyes, darting back and forth between the three people on the other side of the counter. "Hey, Sakura, I haven't seen you in a while. What's up?" she asked casually but the pinkette could see the questions were nearly on the tip of her tongue.

A quick look around the small café showed that everyone else was watching her as well, no doubt questioning the same thing as Kimi. So far, Sakura and Sasuke hadn't done much of anything in ways of making their relationship known as it was still so new. The only ones to really suspect a thing is Sakura's co-workers who has seen Sasuke and the boys hanging around the hospital a bit more often to either drop her off or pick her up. Though after this coffee visit, the town was probably going to be buzzing about the new doctor and their Prince.

"Yeah, I've been busy and I took a trip to Suna," she replied vaguely. Kimi glanced between her and Konohamaru, wordlessly asking for more but Sakura just smiled instead. "I just came in for a coffee," she prompted, hoping Kimi would just get the coffee so they could go.

Kimi waited for a moment, as if staring at her would somehow get her to budge and spill everything, before she relented. "Would you like one too?" she asked the Prospect.

He nodded. "Sure, if you don't mind putting it in a cup holder for me?" he asked Sakura, who agreed readily. Kimi disappeared quickly, moving towards the other end of the counter where she poured two to-go cups of coffee. She returned just as quickly, already having put the cream and sugar in each coffee because she knew how each liked it. In such a small town, everyone came in and got coffee and it didn't take long for the servers to learn how each person liked things.

"Will that be all?" she asked and both agreed that it was. Before Sakura could pull her wallet out of her purse Konohamaru was already handing over the required amount for two coffees, as well as a generous tip. Kimi had mentioned before that the club was always very generous with tips. In fact, when Minato and Sasuke (and Kiba by extension because he came and sat the counter hovering while Sasuke and Minato sat at a booth) sit down with Kakashi, the chief of police, Kimi always expected at least a fifty to seventy-five percent tip on the meal.

"You didn't have to do that?" Sakura said quickly but Konohamaru was already shaking his head.

"It's part of my dues as a prospect; I would never hear the end of it if Sasuke ever found out. Plus, I like you so I don't mind. It's the gentlemanly thing to do."

Sakura gave his most dazzling smile and watched as Konohamaru faltered and blushed. "Well, I wouldn't have told our Prince if you didn't," she teased and then waved to Kimi casually. The girl stared at her in wonder but the pinkette ignored it as she and Konohamaru exited the small shop. Aiden was soon secured back in the car seat and then they were driving back to the house in their respective vehicle.

Sakura pulled into the driveway of Sasuke's house and was quickly pulling the small boy out of the car seat. With him secured in her arms, she tossed the prospect the house keys and then ran across the street to her own house to get her mail. Konohamaru was getting the bags out of the trunk and then waiting on the porch for her as she crossed the street again. They entered the house together after Sakura grabbed Sasuke's mail, where Konohamru deposited the bags on the kitchen table before running back outside to get the coffees from the car.

Konohamaru returned quickly and together they sat in the living room with Aiden. They drank their coffee, chatting idly while Sakura sat on the floor with Aiden. She had laid down a blanket and had Aiden on his back. She was tickling his toes and tummy, smothering him in kisses, and waving colorful toys in front of him to keep his developing eyesight stimulated. This is the scene that Sasuke came home to, Sakura playing with his son in the living room. Aiden was giggling and wiggling about, completely loving the attention she was giving him.

Sasuke stilled in the door, leaning against the wall to watch for a long time. She was very good with Aiden, as his doctor and as the girlfriend to his father. He could see her doing this sort of thing for the rest of their lives. She was meant to be a mother that much was clear. He could see her standing in as Aiden's mother and perhaps even the mother to a future child (maybe two) between them. Instantly he pictured her with a rounded belly, holding Aiden's hand while he walked in through the door. It could be the happy ending he always wanted.

"Oh, shit, I didn't see you there," Konohamaru was saying when he stood up to go to the bathroom.

Sasuke looked away from Sakura, who had looked up as well and smiled at him, and then rolled his eyes at the prospect. He swatted at the younger male chest lightly. "Wow that makes me feel great about your ability to protect my family. You didn't even notice me standing there, what happens when it's a psycho standing there or a Militia man?"

Konohmaru slumped. "Sorry."

Sasuke waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Be more watchful next time," he said, not feeling like disciplining him like he normally would. All he wanted to do right now was take off his cut and be normal for once. Konohamaru caught him at the right moment, otherwise he would have acted as a club member rather than a mentor or friend.

"I will, I promise," the prospect answered. Sasuke nodded.

"Got any plans today?" he asked innocently, going to the kitchen to get a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"My mom wants me to ride out and visit her," Konohamaru shrugged.

Sasuke nodded. "Well be careful. Don't wear you cut 'cause you'll be going through Militia territory and take your car. You'll draw less attention to yourself. But if you run into trouble I'll have my phone on me, the prepay, so don't hesitate to call me. If even the slightest thing strikes you as odd and you think it might be Militia, call me. Me and the boys will be on the road within minutes."

Konohamaru nodded readily. "Thanks, I will," he said, giving a shy smile. Sasuke only gave a very small, almost inexistent, lopsided smile and then a single nod of acknowledgement. They walked to the door together then, Konohamaru saying something about the auto shop and his mother while they were away. Sakura pulled Aiden into her arms and stood back to watch the two at the door. Sasuke was laughing heartily while Konohamaru was smiling and chuckling. Sasuke pat Konohmaru shoulder once more before the younger man said his goodbye, turning to give her and Aiden a wave, before he departed.

"He worships the ground you walk on," Sakura said to Sasuke once the door was closed. Sasuke turned and blinked in question. She only smiled and then went to the kitchen so she could feed Aiden. There was some baby food in the cabinet and Sakura quickly seated the small child into his chair so that she could feed him. Sasuke followed her in, leaning against the doorway to watch as she opened the small bottle of apple and cheery favored baby food, Aiden's favorite.

"He's a good kid. He'll be a good brother to us someday soon," Sasuke said after a moment and Sakura smiled.

"Good, I like him," she muttered while spooning the food to the future Prince. It was a sort of scary thought, Sakura realized as she looked at this little boy happily chomping down on the mashed food. Most of it was getting into his mouth and staying there, but it was still a messy task to feed him. Just like how Aiden would someday grow up, raised in a life where his father is King, and would have the chance to take his throne and live his life doing messy tasks like his father did now. Sakura could only hope that she will have some influence in him as well, so that he knew that everything wasn't just blood and brotherhood. There could be more, like true love as well as healing the blood that could be spilt.

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good for me. Am I going to have to make sure he doesn't steal you away?" Sasuke joked, moving forward to start behind her seated position. He bent forward, wrapping a single around her so that it rest over her collarbone, and pressed his head to her shoulder. Sakura laughed as he ran the rough hair on his jaw over the sensitive skin of her neck before he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Hmm . . . ," Sakura hummed in response and then turned her head to kiss him chastely. He gave a pleased hum before he pulled away.

"Do you have Aiden all handled?" he asked while he stripped herself of his cut. Sakura knew this meant he was done with all club business and he would be hers for the rest of the day unless he got a call.

"Yeah, I'll finish up here, change him and then see if I can get him down to rest. I need to start laundry soon."

Sasuke nodded and then took another chug of his water. "Well, my lawn looks like shit so I want to get out there and cut it. While I'm out there I might as well get your lawn as well, it's getting pretty long too," he said and Sakura turned to look at him with a smile.

It sort of struck her as odd. After everything that she had seen and learned about Sasuke, she saw him a very much larger than life kind of person. He could do anything he liked, untouchable by so many. He said jump, and everyone rushed to ask how high. He raises his voice and the strongest of individuals cower in fear. And then he comes home and he relaxes, and it just seems so odd. Suddenly he's not this untouchable character. He's a regular mechanic, coming home and doing household tasks like mowing the lawn and keeping up the house.

"How domesticated," she mocked to which he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, sweetheart. I'll come in and help you with anything after I'm done," he muttered while he removed his shirt. He laid it over the back of one of the chairs and then removed his rings. He gave her another quick kiss before he walked out the back door towards a little shed he had out back.

She was just finishing up feeding Aiden when she heard the motor to the lawnmower kick up a few minutes later. She could see Aiden already getting tired so she quickly went to change him and then get him settled. It didn't take long to put him down and soon he was sleeping peacefully. With the baby monitor at her side, clipped to her hip, she exited the room and closed the door softly.

She quickly started on the laundry, collecting the dirty clothes from both her and Sasuke's bags from Suna as well as the hamper from Sasuke's room. After quickly sorting through the clothes, she filled the washer and started the first load. She glanced out the back window, watching as Sasuke pushed the mower back and forth for a moment, sweating under the heat of the sun. He looked like any other man before he pivoted the mower and his back was now to her. His Akatsuki tattoo glistened and flexed as he moved, reminding her of who he truly was.

She took a deep breath and wondered how many times she will see this same image. He was a man living two separate and different but deeply intertwined lives. In a way, his tattoo was very symbolic. He could be an everyday man all he wanted, do tasks a regular man would do for his family after a long week of work. But he would always have his other life hanging over him, clinging to his back to remind him of who he truly was. It was a striking image.

Slowly, Sakura shook herself from her daze and went into the bedroom. She had left her phone on the bed that morning when she left for work and then they had gone straight to the lot and then out on the road. Last time she had talked to her mother she had suddenly hung up on her after not answering any of his questions. No doubt when she looked through her phone she would see her mother worrying and probably her brother too since her mother can't keep a secret.

Just as she expected, when she picked up her phones she had countless number of phone calls and messages. She sat back and quickly combed through her text messages, messages that got more desperate as the hours ticked by. Afterwards, she checked her voicemail, getting more and more desperate too.

"That's it," her brother's voice said as another message came on. "If I don't get a call in the next hour, I'm coming down to Konoha myself. Answer your fucking phone," he demanded.

Sakura cursed under her breath and then checked the time before she quickly dialed her brother's number. She waited anxiously through a few rings and then was greeted with her brother's angry voice. "Where the hell have to you been?"

She sighed anxiously, running a hand through her hair. "Hello, Ren, nice to talk to you too," she muttered quietly.

"Don't act like the disappearing act you pulled was a small thing. We have been worried sick," he said on the other end. She could hear him shuffling around and she pictured him packing a bag to drive down to her. She really didn't want that.

"Look, I'm sorry. I forgot my phone at home when I left. I went to Suna for a few days and there were just a lot going on I didn't have a chance to think about it," she said, hoping he won't ask too many questions. She knew she wasn't going to get away without answering some questions, but she just hoped that he didn't ask too many.

"Why were you in Suna? Where you alone? Was it a work thing? Mom mentioned you are seeing an Aiden guy from work, did you go with him?"

Sakura laughed, remembering her last conversation with her mother. "I am definitely not seeing Aiden. That would be weird and inappropriate, considering he is only six months old."

There was a pause. "What?"

"Aiden is a six month old. I was watching him the other night when Mom called in the morning. I was running late and something came up and I had to go before I could explain to Mom who Aiden was so she made her own assumptions. I am not seeing anyone from work, no, Suna was not for work purposes and no, I did not go alone. I went with friends," she answered matter-of-factly.

"And who are these friends of yours?" he asked and sakura grimaced.

"Well," she started and then hesitated. She cleared her throat and started again. "I went with Sasuke and the boys and then Hinata."

"Who's Sasuke?" he questioned. Sakura sighed. Of course he would fixate on Sasuke when she had also mentioned Hinata. But Hinata was clearly a girl name so he couldn't care less. All he knew was that Sasuke was a boy name and then his over protective nature kicked in.

"He's the guy I'm seeing," she stated simply.

She could tell by his tone that he was making a face. "I thought you said you weren't seeing anyone."

Sakura shook her head even though he couldn't see it. "No, I said I wasn't seeing anyone from work. Sasuke works at the local auto shop his family owns in town. He's a good guy, Ren," she said because it wasn't the closest thing she could say to the truth. She couldn't exactly come out to her brother and say "_Oh, Sasuke? He's an ex-con who is basically in a motorcycle gang that is active in the illegal gun trade with some side businesses like an auto shop and a porn studio. Oh, but don't worry, he's a nice guy._"

"A mechanic? You are a doctor, a surgeon, and you go for the mechanic?"

Sakura sighed and felt herself getting instantly defensive. "He's a nice guy, Ren. You leave him alone. I trust him, which is more than I can say for my last boyfriends. He's different and I've never felt this way about another person. So what if he is a mechanic? He's a damn good at his job and genuinely good to the core."

There was another pause. "Wow, you really like him, don't you? I've never seen you get so defensive over a guy."

Sakura paused, feeling the anger leave her and she smiled sweetly instead. "Yeah, I do," she whispered softly.

"Well then I have to meet him, see if he really is good enough for my baby sister."

"You'll meet him eventually, I promise," she remarked while she told up and started organizing the room.

"I'll meet him soon. I'm about to hit the road and come see you," he stated, causing Sakura to bump one of Sasuke's picture frames and for it to fall over.

"What? No. I just took some time off from work and I won't be able to do anything with you. Give me two weeks to put in some good hours before you come down. I'll be able to spend take some time off to be with you," she said quickly, hoping that will be enough to stall him if only for a little while.

He seemed to pause and consider this and Sakura quickly went back to talking, trying to convince him. After a few more minutes he relented and agreed to hold off for two weeks. With the promise that she was fine and that she would talk to their mother soon, she was able to get off the phone.

Sakura was back in the laundry room when Sasuke came back in from to get more water. He was sweating, his raven hair sitting to his neck in some places. Sakura quickly switched the loads and joined him in the kitchen where he was guzzling down water.

"Is it hot out there?" she asked innocently as if she couldn't already see. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Yup, the sun is definitely out today," he muttered while she went to the kitchen table and started sorting through her mail that she had left on the table.

She paused when she saw a fancy envelope and turned it over to see the return address was for a hospital foundation. She opened it slowly, careful not to ruin as she opened it, and quickly took out the white and gold card. She read over the script quickly, grimacing and giving a small groan. Sasuke arched a brow at her and she held up the card as explanation.

"It's an invitation to a charity dinner at the hospital. They have these sorts of dinners every so often to raise money for one foundation or another, and as one of the surgeons, I'm required to go," she explained.

Sasuke leaned back against the counter and rubbed at his chest absentmindedly. "Well, that's doesn't sound so bad. Ma and the club are always going fundraisers in town for something or another. In fact, I think Ma and the other old ladies are doing another fundraiser at the high school or the music department or something. There's gonna be food, entertainment, games, and then a firework show at the end that the boys and I are got roped into."

Sakura smiled. "Really, I didn't know the club was so concerned about music," she said teasingly.

"We're all about community, darlin'. We are here in this town to help it run smoothly."

"How charming," she quipped and then frowned at the invitation again. "I just don't like these sorts of dinners. It's always up tight and I have to bring a date or else every rich doctor comes swooping in like you're the hospital slut nurse," she complained.

"Slut nurse?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "There is always one. As if it isn't hard enough being a professional woman in the medical field, women like the slut nurse makes everything so much harder."

Sasuke laughed and then stepped closer to her to inspect the invitation in her hand. "Well, then I'll go with you," he said while looking at the fancy script.

Sakura whipped around to stare at him. "You do know that this is a black tie event, right? You know, like, no sneakers and baggy clothes, right?"

"I know what black tie is," he remarked with a small, half hearted frown. A moment later he was smiling again, unable to help himself. "And I'll be there for you. I have everything covered. Just get a nice dress and RSVP that you are bringing a guest. I'll take care of the rest. You don't have to worry about anything; I'll save you from the rich doctors who think you are the slut nurse."

Sakura stared at him in wonder for a moment before standing up to press her lips to his. It was a thankful kiss, with a bit of passion, though they didn't let themselves get carried away. Sasuke pulled away with a smile then disappeared to go take a shower. Sakura watched him go, marveling at how he always tended to surprise her.

X X

Tsunade sighed the next day, looking out the front window of the small café/dinner in town. She toyed with a spoon absentmindedly while she waited, watching the streets. An old truck drove by, the driver the old crotchety gym owner from down the street. Across the street the preacher's wife exited the laundry mat with her daughter. They were wearing matching dresses, floor length with a hideous floral pattern with a white collar. The woman looked up and noticed her stare, lifting a hand to smile and wave at the queen. Tsunade put on a fake smile, always having found the woman an annoying bible thumper who never failed to try to convert her and her family to see their sins and repent. The boys have a game where they bet before she is in hearing range how many times she will say 'The Lord' in a conversation with them. Itachi has a surprising knack for guessing the closest number. Naruto always accuses him of cheating.

"Would you like some more coffee, Mrs. Namikaze?" Kimi asked suddenly. Tsunade turned to look edgy, but still smiling waitress.

The older woman had always found her sort of a pest. She was an okay girl, plain but not overly so. She liked to hang around the lot when the club had parties, just waiting for a chance to find a place in their life. Over the years Tsunade had noted her watching Sasuke and the many people he picked up jealously. It's no secret that this girl has wanted into Sasuke's pants since high school if only for his name and good looks. And as an over protective mother, this didn't sit well with the older woman.

"Yes, thank you, dear," she said almost too kindly. The girl had been on the receiving end of Tsunade's glares before and thus was always edgy around her. Truth be told, Tsunade liked the power.

"A cup for me too, if you would," a familiar voice said and Tsunade looked to watched as Sasuke swaggered over to her, his cut firmly in place over his sweat shirt and a baseball cap over his messy raven locks.

She smiled at her son while the girl disappeared to go grab another cup. "Hey, baby," she greeted as Sasuke came to stand behind her. He bent forward, pressing his lips to her cheek.

This was something she liked about her family. She had raised her boys to be affectionate. With all the blood and violence they dealt with, she knew she had to teach them from a young age to make a point to press affection before they go into the life. Now all of her boys always give her a hug, pressed kisses to her head or cheek, and aren't afraid to do the same to each other too. In fact, they showed so much affection for one another that it began to spread through the club as well. Those boys are friends within a brotherhood of violence and loyalty and they know that they need to rely on one another to survive. As a result it's not uncommon for a hug to be given, a peck to be given for comfort, to express the love of a brother, or to tease one another.

Sasuke seated himself while Kimi rushed to pour him some coffee. She asked if they needed anything else or if they would like to order but Tsunade send her way with the excuse that they would need more time to look over the menu. This was obviously a lie as they have been in this town for many, many years and not once has the menu changed but Kimi obligated to give them their time.

"So where is your girl today?" Tsunade asked when they were alone.

"Work, I had the prospect take her to work this morning. Aiden's with Hinata for the afternoon so we could talk," he said before taking a sip of his coffee.

"So let's talk then," she said, having mentally prepared for this conversation all night.

Sasuke sighed and pushed his coffee away to fold his hands together on the table. He looked his mother in the eye evenly. "I don't want us to fight, but I don't want you to alienate Sakura either. I get that you are over protective of me and have my best interests in mind but you have to understand that I'm an adult who is responsible and mature enough to make my own decisions."

Tsunade sighed and dipped her spoon into the coffee cup, stirring in the sugar. "You will always be my baby though," she said softly.

"Yes, I'll always be your son and your baby, but you need to step back a bit," he said in response, gently.

Tsunade glared at him. "So you want me to stay out of your life?"

Sasuke quickly shook his head. "No, Ma, I don't. I need you in my life. But I can't have you chasing away people in my life, especially Sakura."

Tsunade sighed, somewhat appeased that her son wasn't asking her to completely walk away but still not pleased. She didn't want her son to get hurt. Out of all of her sons, Sasuke was always the most sensitive though he hid it well. But you can't hide from your mother and she knew that if any of her son's were to get their hearts broken, it would be Sasuke. And as a woman no stranger to heartbreak, she wanted to save her son from feeling this pain. So she always went out of her way to make sure the stupid girls her son dated didn't have the chance.

But this Sakura girl, this outsider, she is different. She had the potential to break him in half, tear him apart. And that scared her.

There was a long pause before Sasuke sighed and ran a hand over his face, a gesture Tsunade knew meant he was stressed and displeased. "Ma, I'm not asking you to like her. I'm just asking you to give her a chance. She's important to me, and getting increasingly so with each day. People can see where this relationship is heading. Gaara told me on several occasions to hold on to her, Naruto pulled me aside yesterday and told me he had never see me so calm as when I'm with her and Da is already betting we are going to be the next king and queen. The boys have given her a chance and she's proving herself. Let her prove herself to you, just give her that chance."

Tsaunde frowned, observing her son. He was staring at her evenly, though there was a hint of a pleading expression in his eyes. And something else. . . .

"Oh, baby," she whispered. "You love her, don't you?"

Sasuke didn't flinch away or grimace or show any sort of reaction. He didn't deny it quickly like she expected either. "Not yet but . . .," he said after a moment and then trailed off before he started again. He seemed to change his mind on the sentence he had begun. "In my past relationships, I always used the word _if_. _If_ we get closer. _If_ we make it past these next few weeks. But for the first time in my life I am using the word _when_."

Tsunade sighed, knowing she was only going to hurt her son more if she refused him. He was already stressed as a new father and the club, he didn't need an added weight. "Fine. I'll give her a chance," she said begrudgingly.

"Please be nice. Why don't you do something together, like get her to help with the Taste of Charming fundraiser? Have the other old ladies help too, I know you need help with that," the man suggested.

Tsunade frowned and then stared at him knowingly. "You just want to get out of helping with that."

Sasuke only grinned, not bothering to deny it. Instead he just innocently suggested they order their food.

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><p><strong>Hope you liked. Please review.<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello again. Hope you didn't wait too long. Chapter 15 is already well on its way so look forward to that.**

**Thanks again to all the reviews. This chapter is dedicated to two people. One, **SasuSaku993** because they have a birthday coming up and mentioned it in the review (Happy Early Birthday!) and **SushiShibui** because they asked my permission, and upon my acceptance, has posted the first chapter of a French translation of **_The Man Behind the Cut_**. Major shout out to that. So if you speak French and know someone who does and would be interested in this story, check it out. I have the link in my profile under News/Info.**

**Well, enjoy the chapter. Much more going on than last chapter.**

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><p>Chapter 14<p>

A Taste of This Charming Life

Sakura sighed, exhausted from a long days work and slowly made her way to her car with the prospect beside her. She had gotten up early, had three surgeries today, and now she was on her way to Tsunade's house. She's actually running late as Tsunade told her to be there at eight for a Taste of Charming- the annual fundraiser that Tsunade organizes for a different benefit each year- meeting for the music program at the local high school. The other old ladies are all helping too and were there at eight while Sakura just got off work at almost nine and heading straight there. She was so tired and late that she hadn't even stopped to change out of her scrubs.

It has only been a couple days since they returned from Suna. But yesterday, the day after they returned, she had been surprised to find Tsunade waiting for her at the hospital when she got off work. With the prospect trailing behind them, Tsunade gave Sakura a ride home (or rather to Sasuke's home where she has been staying). It had been an awkward drive for the pinkette, unsure about the older woman's motives. But in the end, it turned out Sasuke had talked to her and begged his mother to give her a chance. And as Tsunade pulled into the driveway behind Sasuke's Harley, the older woman told her that she did intend to put in an effort but she also expect that Sakura put in an effort too.

So that's what Sakura was doing now. Instead of going home (Sasuke's home, she had to constantly remind herself. Not her home. Her home was across the street), getting food into her stomach, perhaps play with Aiden for a bit before she helped with the nightly ritual of getting him bathed and put to bed, taking a warm bath and cuddling up with Sasuke, she was driving over to Tsuande's home. The older woman had called her and told her that she wanted her to help organize the fundraiser with her and the other old ladies. She had reluctantly agreed though she told the older woman she would probably be late because of surgery.

She pulled up in Sasuke's Cutlass and killed the engine, sighing and rubbing at her shoulders. Behind her Konohamaru's bike pulled up as she slowly got out, moving sluggishly as she pulled her bag over her shoulder. He dismounted his small bike and pulled off his helmet.

"Are you hanging out with the ladies or am I calling you when I'm ready to leave?" she asked him, slumping against the car behind her.

He shook his head. "Minato and Naruto are hiding from all the women in the garage. I'll be in there with them so I'll be close by when you are ready to go," he explained as he led her up the drive. She nodded and thanked him as he knocked on the back door for her and then held the door for her when Hinata, who had been in the kitchen, let her in. He then nodded, waved and wished her good luck before he continued down the driveway to the garage in the back yard that had music and light coming from it. Hinata welcomed her with a hug.

"You look exhausted," she said to her sympathetically and Sakura nodded.

"I am, but Tsunade is putting an effort into this and she expects me to do the same," she muttered quietly. Hinata gave her another sympathetic look. It had been a lot easier for Hinata to navigate her way into the family. One, she and Naruto had been young so Tsunade hadn't expected a lot from them until they got older and by then it was already established that Hinata was in this for the long run. And two, Naruto may be the baby of the family but he wasn't the Prince or Tsunade's personal favorite.

"You'll help me the best you can, right?" Sakura asked while she linked arms with the petite raven.

Hinata pat her hand gently. "I'll try my best," she said as they started for the living room where all the women were gathered. Hinata smiled as they entered. "Look what I found," she said to the women.

"About time," the young blonde old lady commented under her breath. Sakura tried to remember the dinner in which Sasuke explained the people around the room. Her name was Ino, Shikamaru's old lady, and she had aimed her comment to Tenten, Neji's old lady, who was trying to stifle a mean snicker behind a hand.

"A mother went into distress and we had to perform an emergency C-section. I had to patch up a hole in a premature baby's stomach, so yes, I was late," she said pointedly in a tone that clearly said she didn't want to be messed with. Yes, she was late for the meeting. But she would not apologize for saving a life. If these little porn queens had a problem with that then they could say it to her face.

Hinata quickly pulled Sakura to the other end of the room where they seated themselves on a large plus gold couch. Ino and Tenten were seated directly across from them with Sayuki next to them, glaring at the pinkette for using that tone with them, while Tsunade was sitting in a large arm chair that could probably sit two comfortably to their left. The queen had watched the exchange with interest but made it a point not to reveal anything on her face.

Tsunade quickly took control of the meeting once more, quickly recapping what they had already covered. The fundraiser was scheduled for this Saturday while it was already Tuesday night. Tsunade and the other ladies had already been stocking up on food and decorations for a few days now and had been asking around town for volunteers to help man booths. They needed a few more people to cook the food, but Hinata was almost positive that Kakashi and the other police officers were going to help out by cooking the burgers and hot dogs. Now they needed to discuss a few more games, how they were going to arrange everything and who was going what during and for the set up.

Sakura was surprised at how much thought went into simple decisions. Had it been up to her, she would have winged it while Tsunade was much more methodical about her planning. By the end of the half hour they had discussed games, the equipment they would need for said games and where they could find them, where they were going to set them up, who was going to be in charge of them, etc. Tsunade had mapped out the lot they were using for the day and had drawn squares which she carefully labeled to mark each designated game or booth. Alongside that she had a "master list" with who was in charge of each station. She had another list of the materials they needed organized by station and was already carefully marked with what they had already and what they still needed.

Inwardly, Sakura was groaning. She had worked such a long day and she was wanted sleep and yet she was stuck here. All the details were overwhelming in her tired state of mind. She already knew the rest of the week was going to be hell because she was still going to be working and helping Tsunade after work. Honestly, if this is what it meant to be the queen, she didn't know if she had it in her. Being a surgeon was a full time job. Being with Sasuke and Aiden was quickly becoming another full time job. Being the queen, with all the flair and community devotion, was quite obviously another full time job. Something had to give at some point.

By the time they called for another break, Sakura was more than a little too happy. She stood and stretched before she excused herself to the bathroom while the other ladies made their way into the kitchen where Tsunade had set out snack trays. After doing her business, she made her way back into the living room sluggishly, rubbing at her tired and tensed shoulders. She wandered by the fireplace for a moment, hoping for a moment more of peace instead of joining the other ladies in the kitchen whom she could hear laughing.

There were several picture frames sitting atop of the mantel and Sakura was drawn to them. She laughed at the picture of Sasuke and Naruto when they were young covered in mud while perching on their equally muddy bicycles. There was a photo of a much more youthful Tsunade, early twenties if most, holding a raven haired baby in her arms and two other raven haired boys stood around her to look down at the baby in her arms. It was Itachi, Sasuke, and Tsunade with Obito, Sakura realized. She quickly turned to a few other ones, Itachi and Sayuki on their wedding day, Naruto standing surrounded by his family dressed in a cap and gown, Sasuke dressed in a sterile surgical gown holding Aiden in his arms at a hospital (probably the Suna hospital judging by how small Aiden was in the picture), a teenage Sasuke with a prospect cut standing beside Minato in front of the clubhouse laughing with one another, a picture of all of the boys in the club with Minato and Sasuke in the center with their respective President and Vice President patches.

Sakura looked at another photo. It was of Tsunade and a man that looked very much like Sasuke. However, Sakura quickly realized that it was not Sasuke, but rather a younger looking Fugaku. He was seated at the head of a table, a table that had the club's patch carved into the center. He wore a simple white shirt with the Akatsuki cut overtop though Sakura noted that his patch said that he was the president. One arm rested on the table, holding a cigarette between his fingers while a gavel sat next to his hand. He was staring solemnly at the center of the table. Tsunade stood behind him with one of her arms reaching forward to hold his chest. She was staring off at something, to the left, that couldn't be seen but she looked equally as solemn.

"Sasuke hates that picture. I can always tell when he has been over because he always flips it over," a voice said behind her and Sakura jumped, nearly knocking over one of the pictures.

She turned quickly and saw Tsunade standing behind her. The older woman was looking at her guardedly, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes probably from scaring her. Sakura released a breath and put a calming hand over her heart. Tsunade ignored it and then approached so that she was standing alongside her, staring at the pictures.

"It was taken years ago, when the boys were still so young. Obito was already in the hospital at the time, getting weaker with each day no matter how many treatments they were giving him. He was in a coma by then. That's the table in the chapel. As if Obito's sickness wasn't enough, the club was going through a rough patch as well. It was a very bloody year for the MC as the Militia men were making moves to try and expand into the Konoha. Obito died a few days after this picture was taken and Fugaku fell apart. Minato, as Vice President at the time, had to step in for the club while Fugaku drank himself into a stupor and I took care of the boys and the funeral arrangements. Sasuke had been so scared; he barely left my side for weeks. He was still such a baby himself and he didn't understand what was going on. All he knew was that he couldn't see his little brother anymore, he somehow was sick like Obito had been, and his father wouldn't come out of Obito's bedroom except to stumble to the bathroom or kitchen to get more booze. I was the only stable thing at the time, and that boy clung to me," Tsunade said with a small smile.

Tsunade looked away from the photo and found another. It was in a much smaller frame, tucked behind the larger frames. Sakura hadn't even seen it before. It was a picture of a young raven haired boy, Sasuke; she realized when she looked more closely. He was in a hospital bed with Tsunade sitting on the edge of the bed, an arm wrapped around him. Minato stood off to the side, leaning against the wall in his cut with his arms crossed over his chest.

"The stress of everything got to be too much for Sasuke and he ended up in the hospital too. With a dead wife and son, another sick son in the hospital and a messy bloody war being waged with the MC, it was too much for Fugaku. He left, leaving me with two boys to care for by myself and leaving Minato to clean up the mess with the club. Sasuke spent some time in the hospital, he needed another heart surgery, but I was too poor as a waitress to pay for it. Minato and the club stepped in after they cleaned up the streets and halted the Militia from expanding. They helped me pay for the surgery and Minato helped me with the boys. The rest is history," she explained.

Sakura eyed this woman in front of her, suddenly understanding her better. For her, Sasuke had always needed her. When he was younger, he stuck to her like glue because he was scared. When he got sick, she stayed him in to keep him calm. When she couldn't pay, Minato and the club stepped in, bringing her closer to the club. By extension, Sasuke brought Tsunade and Minato together. He owed a lot to his mother, but in a way she owed him a lot too.

"Sasuke likes this one the best," Tsunade said, pointing to another frame on the opposite end of the mantle. Sakura looked to it, and realized she had seen it before somewhere.

It was a picture of Minato and Tsunade from when they were younger. They were standing at a large table with the Reaper patch carved into the wood behind them. Minato was looking at the camera while Tsunade was looking at her husband with a loving look in her eyes. There were papers spread out all over the table and the older members of the club and a few others that Sakura didn't recognize where all crowded around the table. Sakura realized that none of the younger men were in the picture because they were probably still kids or at least teens. The boys pictured were all ducked down, leaning over to examine whatever was on the table, their heads bowed down. Only Tsunade and Minato, at the head of the table, were standing straight up.

"Sasuke always says it's as if the boys have their heads bowed before their king and queen. He was the only one to notice it but once he pointed it out it's all anyone can notice," she muttered absentmindedly, smiling softly as if in memory.

Sakura nodded, suddenly realizing where she had seen the picture before. The same picture sat on Sasuke's dresser at home. She had seen it in passing many times but hadn't bothered to really examine it.

"Sasuke has a copy of this at home. He looks at it every night when he takes off his rings and other jewelry before bed," Sakura the older woman and the woman seemed to start for a moment. Whether she was surprised because she didn't know Sasuke did this or was surprised that Sakura had noticed this, the pinkette couldn't tell. Tsunade seemed to study her for a moment and Sakura just stared at the picture with a small smile before looked back at the mother with an even, unwavering look. Tsunade seemed to be sizing her up before she determined something and then turned away.

"Come into the kitchen. I could hear your stomach grumbling all the way through the meeting. There's plenty of food in the kitchen to snack on."

Sakura flushed for a moment, running a nervous hand through the ends of her hair for a moment. "Sorry, I skipped dinner in favor of surgery and then rushed straight her after I was done," she said as ways of explanation while her mind whirled.

Somehow she had just been tested and she wasn't sure if it was a positive result or not. Slowly, she followed behind Tsunade still mulling over the hidden test she had just taken. Ino and Tenten glared at her when she entered but Hinata smiled welcoming and gestured to the seat at island that was empty beside her. Sakura seated herself beside her raven haired ally while Tsunade went to the fridge.

"Do you like lasagna? I have some leftovers from dinner. I can heat it up for you," Tsunade was suddenly saying to the pinkette.

Sakura started, unsure why Tsunade was being so nice to her by getting her dinner. "Oh, you don't have to do that," she said, trying not to be a bother.

"You can't skip dinner. Now do you like lasagna or do I have to make you something else?" she said in a tone that left no argument.

Sakura was suddenly struck with how different her mother was compared to Sasuke's. Her mother wouldn't have bothered to hound her about dinner. She knew her kids could make something themselves if they missed dinner time. If they were hungry, they would make something themselves. Tsunade, though, had a very nurturing nature beneath her hard surface. Even if she didn't particularly like Sakura yet, she heard that she hadn't had dinner and her motherly instincts kicked in.

"I would love some lasagna. Thank you," she said after a moment, knowing she would not be able to deny the older woman and she was getting hungrier as the moments passed.

"Good girl," Tsunade muttered to herself as she pulled out the lasagna tin.

X

The rest of the week passed quickly in Sakura's opinion, leaving her even more exhausted. Tsunade had given her the task of being the "second Tsunade" as she was the lady of the VP. She hadn't thought this was going to be too bad since Tsunade seemed to have everything under control but she was wrong. For the rest of the week she was constantly getting phone calls at the house or at work from this person or that person asking about where they should get this, what to do about that, who was handling this, etc. Honestly, Sakura was surprised the people of this town could wipe their own asses without her permission or go ahead. After a long day at work each day Sakura ended up at Tsunade's house with a list of questions and concerns brought up throughout the day. She and Tsunade would then go through each one and address each issue. Twice during the week the two of them had gone out shopping during Sakura's hour long lunch break for different items on their list like food and water balloons, plastic utensils, etc.

She and Tsunade seemed to be getting along pretty well. Sure, they weren't going to be BFFs anytime soon, but there hadn't been many snide remarks or heated sneers. Sakura sensed that Tsunade was still trying to get a feel for her but she seemed to be honest about the giving her a chance thing. They worked together in a civil sort of way, but sometimes Sakura would do or say something that would make Tsunade step back and examined her. She was constantly being tested whether she knew it or not and so far Tsunade had never expressed whether or not she was passing.

Additionally, Sasuke seemed to be stressing over something with Naruto. After the meeting she had arrived home, more than a little tired and stressed herself, to find the brothers arguing in hushed whispers in the kitchen over beers. Aiden had already been put to sleep for the night and the youngest boy had come over shortly after she had arrived at Tsunade's house. Naruto seemed to be begging for something that Sasuke wasn't readily going to give, but they had quickly quieted as soon as she had entered. Naruto had left soon after, only asking that Sasuke think about it, before he left. Sasuke refused to tell her what they had been arguing about but the next day Sakura had gotten home from his mother's house late at night to find Sasuke pouring over his bills trying to sort out his finances. When she had asked again what they were fighting about, after some convincing, she got him to tell her that his irresponsible brother was asking for some money that Sasuke wasn't sure he could give.

In the end, however, Sasuke ended up giving Naruto the money after they did another gun sale on Thursday, Sasuke told her after. He asked Neji, the club treasurer, to give him his share in advance which mostly went to Naruto. He asked Sakura to not tell anyone that Sasuke had lent Naruto more money if it came up somehow. It's no secret that Naruto is irresponsible but the boys and the family had been really getting on his ass lately about his money situation. Naruto didn't want it to get out that Sasuke was giving him more money he hadn't earned. Sasuke was very tight lipped about what the money was going towards though, even though Sakura had promised not to tell. Instead he had only vaguely offered a, "you'll find out soon enough," in response. Sakura did, however, notice that Naruto had dragged his brother out the next day to handle something and both were very secretive about it.

It was now Saturday, the day of the fundraiser, and Tsunade had shown up at their door bright and early. Sasuke had still been in bed while Sakura was already up, showered, dressed, and was feeding Aiden when Tsunade let herself in. She didn't seem to be surprised to find Sakura awake and with Aiden and quickly got into it with her about all that needed to be done that day. After they had double checked their list Tsunade had seemed only slightly appeased before looking around.

"Where is that son of mine?" she asked while Sakura wiped Aiden's face to rid it of all of the excess food that hadn't made it into his mouth.

"In bed still. He and Naruto were out late last night. Came home smelling like a brewery. Had to get a ride home because he was too drunk to drive," she said to the older woman as she scooped Aiden up into her arms. She had ended up tucking Sasuke into bed last night after he had gotten home. Now only had he been drunk but Sakura had to let him in because he didn't have his keys and had to convince him just to go to bed when all he wanted to do was go out to eat. It had been an interesting night for her.

Tsunade frowned deeply and stood with her hands on her hips for a moment before she muttered something about "well that won't do," and then quickly pivoted and marched out of the kitchen. Sakura had watched her go with curious fascination and walked to the kitchen doorway to watch the older woman. She pushed Sasuke's bedroom door open nosily, letting the door bang against the wall. She disappeared from sight then but Sakura could hear her loudly lecturing Sasuke as well as Sasuke groaning.

A few moments more and Sasuke came stumbling out of the bedroom in only his underwear, almost slamming into the wall across from the doorway. He turned to glare at his mother, who had probably pushed him, before he straightened up and came into the kitchen slowly while rubbing his face sleepily. He pressed a kiss to Sakura's temple before he quickly pressed another to Aiden's head before he went to the coffee machine, all the while ignoring his mother who was lecturing him as she was a step behind him.

"What is up with that brother of yours? He's been acting funny all week and now he has you out drinking like you are twenty one years old again. You're not twenty one Sasuke, not anymore. You are a father and you need to start acting like one."

Sasuke took a large gulp of his coffee before frowning at his mother. "Naruto's business is Naruto's business. I know what you know. And as for the being a father bullshit, I'm here every night with my son. I'm here for him, I may be new to this father thing but I know my responsibilities. I took a break last night to go out with my brother but I had a trusted responsible adult here, Hinata, with Aiden who was then relieved by Sakura, another trust responsible adult. Cut the shit, Ma, it's too early."

Tsunade frowned before she sighed and put her hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry, baby. You're right," she muttered after a moment.

Sasuke nearly spit out his coffee. "What? Did you just say I was right? Are you sick?" he remarked.

The older woman glared at him while Sakura giggled and bounced Aiden. "Don't be a smartass. And get in the shower. You smell like a brewery and I expect you and the boys at the fundraiser to help out today."

Sasuke nodded, taking another large gulp of coffee before putting it down. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you've been grilling us since you started this thing and none of us are gonna cross you. We'll be there. None of us want an eight and a half high heel shoved up our asses," he muttered while pressing a kiss to his mother's cheek. He then went back to Sakura to press a good kiss to her lips and muttered a good morning before he was swaggering down the hall towards the bathroom. Sakura watched him go, watching his tattooed back as he walked away.

"Do you love him?" Tsunade suddenly asked and Sakura whirled around to stare at the woman.

"I don't know how to answer that," she answered after a moment, looking at Aiden in her arms just so that she wouldn't have to look at the older woman. He was cooing and toying with a piece of her hair, twisting and tugging at the pink lock. He seemed to favor her hair with his developing eyesight.

"Well it's a simple yes or no," Tsunade remarked, popping her hip out and standing with both arms at her waist.

Sakura sighed, taking a deep breath before looking back towards the open bathroom door. She could see the steam coming out from the shower stall. Sasuke, Sakura had long since noticed, had a problem with closing the bathroom door when he went in. He was the sort of person who didn't care if someone saw him naked. There was nothing to hide about his body and he had lived alone for so long that there wasn't any reason to close the door. Plus, if anyone was to walk in, it was someone from the club and he couldn't care less if they saw him. Hell, he would probably engage in a conversation with them, no matter the state of undress, and they wouldn't be the least bit fazed by it.

She and Sasuke had a complicated situation. They didn't talk about what they were, but they were definitely serious. She was his lady and it was no secret between them that they both wanted it to go for the long run. Both had hinted at their future together but they hadn't discussed in specifics what each saw in store. She was dangerously close, she knew, to giving herself to him. He was everything she didn't know she wanted.

He was a very powerful man, but he was still undeniably fragile and broken in his own way. Never before had she felt this way about another person. With her past boyfriends she didn't have the same chemistry. She rolled away from then in the middle of the night, her knees never grew weak when they gave her a kiss, and her heart didn't thump when they smiled at her. But with Sasuke, she never failed to get these reactions. She had never felt as good as she does with Sasuke. She has thought a lot about it, mostly when she was tired and laying in bed with him at night or first thing in the morning when he was still sleeping. She felt it, there was no doubt, but she hadn't been able to find the words.

"I can't find the words," she said finally, as she stared down the hall.

Tsunade was silent for a long time, watching and studying her. She hated to admit it, but Tsunade could see that this Sakura girl was good for Sasuke. She made him happy, but she wasn't foolish enough to think the girl wasn't dangerous. Sasuke, she knew, was banking on her. He was all in with her. The fact that he wanted his mother to actively try to give her a chance told the older woman a lot about how he felt for her. Sasuke had never once bothered to press his gal pals to meet and spend time with his mother because his mother was an intense woman and he hadn't really been banking a lot of trust and commit with the girls to warrant that kind of torture. The fact that he wanted Sakura to undergo this sort of torture told the older woman that he was serious about his feelings. He was banking on her and if that made her dangerous because it she suddenly turned tail and ran, he would be heartbroken.

"Then a shake of the head then is all I need. A nod for yes, a shake for no. It's not hard," she said determinedly.

Sakura turned and glared at the older woman, who pretended she wasn't surprised by the show of sudden strength. She frowned deeply at the older woman. "I haven't even told him anything yet. I'm not going to tell his mother before I tell him anything. Back off," she said and then quickly exited the room in case the older woman decided to start something. Luckily Tsunade didn't follow her out and Sakura idly wondered if she had been tested again.

Sakura quickly changed Aiden and then got him dressed for the day. She packed a few more things in the diaper bag and then she put that on the couch and put Aiden down in the playpen for a moment. She then went to the bathroom and poked her head in as Sasuke was stepping out of the shower. She handed him a towel.

"Do you need a ride? Where'd you leave your bike last night?" she asked while he ran the towel through his hair, not caring to cover his naked lower half from sight.

"It's at the clubhouse. Kiba gave me a ride home last night so I need to go pick it up again." He ran the towel over his arms and chest quickly before he wrapped it around his waist.

Sakura nodded. "Well, I can leave you the Cutlass and go with your mother if you want, or if you hurry me and we can both take the Cutlass and drop you at the clubhouse before we head over to the high school," she said while Sasuke approached her. He leaned in and cupped her face before he gently pressed his lips to hers. She felt the familiar jolts that she never grew tired of as he simply pressed his lips to hers, the feel of his scraggy face brushing against her smooth skin.

Sasuke pulled away after a moment and smiled that same sexy, lopsided grin. "I'll hurry up and get dressed," he said and then leaned a little closer. "Less time you spend with my mother will probably be a blessing to you," he whispered against her lips and she smiled into the kisses he peppered her with.

She eventually pushed him away, smiling and laughing a little. "Well then go get dressed, darlin'," she teased before detangling herself from him. She laughed again at the reluctant look on his grinning face.

"You're killing me," he muttered with an easy grin before he quickly swooped in to give her one more kiss and then quickly made his way down the hall. "You have Aiden all packed up?" he asked her as he walked away, noticing for the first time that his mother was leaning against the kitchen doorway, no doubt having watched them. He gave her a look of warning, to which she innocently held her arms up and turned away.

Sakura, oblivious to their audience, nodded. "Yup, he's all set. He'll be with me, your mom and Hinata most of the day. I have the diaper bag all packed up with a day's worth of supplies," she said loudly while still in the bathroom. She was standing in front of the mirror, running a hand through her hair and applying some chapstick to her lips.

Sasuke quickly dressed in his usual attire and met the two women out in the living room. The couple quickly strapped Aiden into the car seat and climbed into the Cutlass, trailing Tsunade in her own car. Sasuke sat in the passenger seat, leaned back and drinking more coffee while he could. Sakura kept her attention on the road, idly messing with the radio.

"I was thinking of getting a truck," Sasuke said suddenly. Sakura glanced at him quickly before returning her gaze to the road. "Something nice and big. Naruto's gonna pay me back soon and I could use the money to get the car. It will be nice to have a second vehicle," he muttered.

Sakura frowned at him. "A third vehicle. You have the Cutlass and your bike. A truck would be a third vehicle," she said to him while they turned the corner and came to the auto shop's street.

"No, you have the Cutlass, I would have my Harley and the truck when I can't take my bike," he said as casually as if they were discussing the weather.

Sakura blinked at him as soon as she pulled the car to a stop in the lot. "You are giving me the Cutlass?" she asked in disbelief and he just smiled.

He leaned toward her and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Merry Christmas," he said jokingly before he turned and squeezed Aiden's foot and said his goodbyes. He quickly got out before Sakura could say anymore; leaving her to stew over this gift he had given her. She watched him through the windshield as he jogged up to the clubhouse, pausing at the door to give her that sexy grin before he went in. Sakura smiled and shook her head in disbelief before Tsunade honked her horn and urged her along. Together they drove over to the high school to set up.

X

Sasuke and the boys joined the old ladies at the school later on that day. By then his mother was in a panic that they hadn't already shown up earlier, but they had some club business to take care of. However, trying to explain this to Tsunade was impossible. Sasuke found his mother at one of the booth, yelling at Tenten that she needed more ice. She then whipped around and glared at her approaching son.

"You were supposed to be here hours ago," she said angrily, her hands on her hips.

"Sorry, Ma," Sasuke said as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I just wanted to check in before I leave again. You know where Sakura is?" he asked, looking around.

"Leaving again? Where are you going?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it. Club business. Itachi, Naruto, and I will be gone only an hour, the rest are staying so you can torture them. Now, where's Sakura?" he told his mother, frowning and using his serious club tone.

She frowned at him back and then sighed, gestured off to the right. "I have her manning the prizes at the ring toss booth. She has Aiden with her," she told him reluctantly.

He nodded and quickly left, waving his hellos to people as he walked. The whole town seemed to be out for a day of food and fun and games. Little children ran around eating cotton candy while parents trailed behind. Couples were walking hand and hand towards the barbeque the local police department was grilling up. Teenagers milled around, laughing and giggling with one another. Sasuke passed a group of teenage girls, all of them giggling and looking him up and down, future crow eaters. He gave a small grin as he fixed the dark sunglasses on his face before he turned away, hearing more giggles behind him.

He found Sakura inside a small booth with a collection of glass bottles and an assortment of prizes behind her. There was a young couple in front of her, the man throwing the rings at the bottles and missing. The young woman cheered him on despite his lack of aim. Sasuke gave a smile and wandered to Sakura's side. She gave him a big smile, quickly giving him a big kiss in greeting before she turned away and added up the points quickly. She offered the couple a small teddy bear, the smallest prize, but the couple took it readily.

Sasuke looked behind Sakura while he removed his sunglasses and noted that she had pulled out the transportable and fold out crib. Aiden was laying on his back, sleeping peacefully despite the noise and heat of the day. Sakura had him in a shaded area so he seemed pretty content.

"So, about time you showed up. Tsunade has been flipping out all morning that none of the boys were here," she said while seating herself on a small stool.

Sasuke nodded and leaned towards her, positioning himself between her parted thighs. He looked down at her, cupping her face gently. "Yeah, already saw my ma. The boys are staying but me and my brothers have to do a quick club run," he said, pushing a hand back to thread through her hair.

"Where to?" she asked innocently, her brow furrowing in question.

Sasuke smiled easily, putting off her unease. "Just a little up north. We have a contact, some natives on the land who make the best bullets around and for cheap. We have a deal with them but we just wanna check in. We should be back in an hour or so," he explained in a quiet whisper, mindful of everyone walking around.

Sakura nodded as Sasuke pressed his lips to hers again. Sakura hummed pleasantly against his lips, but pouted when he pulled away. He combed some of her hair back with an easy smile. "I should get going, my brothers are waiting," he muttered.

Idly Sakura was aware that someone else that approached her booth but she kept her attention on Sasuke as he pressed his lips to hers again. He gave her several quick, playful, chaste kisses on her lips while she laughed. He chuckled softly and then pulled away fully. "Okay, I gotta go. I'll see you soon, darlin'. I'll buy you dinner and we'll sit down together with the family."

She nodded with a small smile. "Yup, be safe," she said quietly before he pulled his sunglasses back on. He nodded once to whoever had approached and then quickly pressed on more final kiss before he fully pulled away and turned away. He walked away briskly in his familiar swagger. Sakura turned back to her patron and almost chocked when she spotted Kimi there, eyeing her blankly. She had three friends with her, girls whom looked as pleased to see her as Kimi did.

"Hi, Kimi," Sakura greeted her friend with her most charming smile.

"So you and Sasuke, huh? Are you the flavor of the week now?" one of her friends snarled. Kimi was silent, just staring at her blankly.

Sakura faltered, surprised by the animosity these ladies were giving her. "Are you here to play the game or what?" she fired back quickly, keeping her face blank.

Kimi finally spoke, stepping up closer to the booth and staring at her friend in wonder. "You arrived here with Tsunade and she didn't seem to hate you. Not to mention you are working with all the old ladies. How did you do it? How did you make it in with the family?"

Sakura was silent for a long moment, unsure what to say. She studied her friend, who didn't seem to angry like the other ladies, but more wounded and hurt. Kimi was looking at her as if the pinkette had somehow betrayed her though Sakura didn't know how. She hadn't done anything to her. All she had done was start dating Sasuke, whom as far as she knew didn't have much of a connection with Kimi.

"How?" the girl asked again, she voice breaking slightly as she spoke. "I've been trying to get Sasuke to notice me for years. Then within weeks of just showing up out of nowhere and you are already in with the family and all lovely dovey with him. I don't understand."

Sakura faltered for a moment, unsure how she should proceed. She hadn't known that Kimi had any sort of interest in Sasuke as the girl had never said anything. Sure, she was sorry that her friend was hurt, but she wasn't sorry enough to end a relationship or anything. She and Sasuke were serious and she and Kimi were not all good of friends if she was honest. In all the time she had known Kimi, they had hung out only a few times and Sakura had been sort of ditched each time. She was better friends with Hinata than she was with Kimi. She would easily choose Sasuke if it came down to it.

"I'm sorry that you are hurt. I didn't know you liked him," she said seriously to the waitress.

"Would it have stopped you from jumping in his bed if you had known?" another one of her friends asked, glaring at her.

Sakura stared at her seriously for a moment before she noted Tsunade approaching with another woman, a woman she had seen around the lot a few times but hadn't been introduced to. She was probably just a friend of the family or club or something as she was an older woman and Sakura had never seen any ink on her. She quickly turned her attention back to the women and spoke.

"No, not that it is any of your business what I do with my life, but I wouldn't let anything stop me from finding happiness. Now if you aren't going to play the game then run along," she stated calmly, turning to give Kimi only a small apologetic look.

"Yes, you heard the girl, run along. I need to take my grandson and my son's girl over with the family," Tsunade stated with authority even though her tone was kind. The group of girls started, probably hadn't seen her approaching. They looked uneasily between the two of them as Tsunade came to stand beside the pinkette, smiling in a friendly manner and even going as far as to wrap and arm around her quickly in a brief hug that pushed Sakura against the older woman's massive breasts.

"Sansho is going to take over the booth for you, baby," Tsunade told Sakura, speaking to her warmly as if she had already accepted her into the family. Sakura was hesitated for only a moment, sort of whiplashed from the friendly demeanor, but quickly went along with it. Sakura quickly pulled herself way from the older woman and grabbed her purse and Aiden along with his diaper bag. Sansho, the other woman that had accompanied Tsunade, quickly folded the crib up and handed it over to Tsunade.

Tsunade then looked at the group of girls who had backed up but was still hovering around and dismissed then with a wave of the hand. "Goodbye ladies," she remarked arrogantly and then quickly led Sakura away, who had a still sleeping Aiden in her arms. She looked at the pinkette coolly.

"If you make it to old lady status that will stop happening. They will soon learn not to mess with you, not that you really needed my rescue from that situation. You looked as if you had it under control," she stated calmly.

"If I make it?" Sakura questioned, looking at the older woman seriously. "Am I ever going to be worthy enough in your eyes?"

They were approaching the club now. The boys were congregating around a group of picnic tables, all representing in their cuts. They were laughing merrily, joking and even hanging out with a few of the local cops. Sakura didn't quite understand the relationship they had with the local PD but she did know that they were cool with one another. Although she hadn't asked about it, she guessed that perhaps some of the higher ups in the department, like the police chief, knew all about their _business_ and just turned the blind eye.

"Well, that's to be determined," Tsunade muttered as she joined the club. Hinata, who had been hanging around with the boys quickly made his way over to the pinkette. Sakura watched Tsunade mingle with her family and sighed, knowing that she still had to somehow prove herself.

X

The boys had piled into one of the company's trucks as the natives liked cars more than they liked their motorcycles. Sasuke was driving laughing quietly as his brothers argued about the different merits of the James Bond movies, bickering like two years. Sasuke navigated the familiar dirt roads that led up to the small house out in the middle of nowhere. They had discovered these people as they sometimes did some repo services at the auto shop and was tasked to take their van. However, when they got back to the garage they discovered that van was filled with the family business, professionally made even if homemade bullets. In the end they struck them a deal: the club pays the bank for the van and it gets returned to the natives and the club gets free bullets until the costs are covered. Afterwards, they will buy the bullets for cheap and the natives get their continued support.

Early that morning Minato had gotten a call by the daughter in the native family, saying that a man was hanging around their property. Whether it was because of their business or just scoping out the place for a shifter reason, they weren't sure. But the important thing is that the family, and the club by extension, do not like this. Minato was spending them up to check it out. He didn't anticipate any problems but they were keeping their phones close.

Sasuke's eyes spotted an abnormality in the road and he eased the truck to a stop, causing his brothers to stop bickering. In this part of the area, there was a lot of twist and turns as well as high hills. Sasuke stopped the truck at the base of one of the hills, eyes narrowing in on what looked like a fallen tree at the top of the hill. He sighed as he parked the truck and looked to his brothers.

"We all going or are we rock paper scissoring it?" he joked before all three boys climbed out of the truck and quickly started the slightly steep incline.

Halfway up Naruto was already complaining about the impromptu hike. "Why didn't you just drive up here instead of us having to walk it?"

"Emergency brake is broken, dumbass. Do you wanna be chasing the truck down the hill and into a ditch?" Itachi remarked as the finally mounted the top of the hill. Naruto glared at him but didn't respond.

Just as they suspected, a tree had fallen into the road, blocking the path. It wasn't a large tree, something they could move if the tree of them worked together but big enough to prevent passage. Naruto was already bitching and complaining but both older boys quickly shushed him as they quickly grabbed a hold of tree and heaved it. It took a couple tries and a few minutes but they were able to pull the tree off the road. Naruto stood cheering with his arms above his head when Itachi noticed a van, dark in color and completely blacked out, slowly approaching them.

"Aye, look at this," Itachi said softly, gesturing lightly towards the van. It was heading towards them, coming from down the road. This was a private road, only people being at the end of the road were the natives. They typically didn't have guests either so the boys didn't really anticipate the van to be friendly. Slowly, Itachi reached for his gun that rested at his back, tucked into his jeans.

However, this seemed to be the wrong move because as soon as Itachi reached behind him, the van opened its door and a man leaned out. He had a black motorcycle helmet on and a bandana over his face with sunglasses. His forearm, however, was uncovered and Sasuke was able to make out Militia ink before he was pointing a gun at them and firing. Itachi fired back with his own before he let out a pained shout and was knocked down.

"Itachi!" Sasuke yelled, pulling out his own gun and pointing it towards the van while he moved closer to his brother.

The van was moving again as the boys scrambled to get away from the fire. Naruto dove beside the tree on the side of the road while Sasuke dove atop of his fallen brother, trying to shield him from any more stray bullets as the van zoomed by them and the man leaned back into the van. Once the van was passed Sasuke leaned up a bit and aimed his gun, shooting at the retreating backend. The back window shattered under his reign of fire and he felt some sort of satisfaction when the van swerved a little as a result.

Beneath him Itachi groaned and Sasuke quickly turned his attention to his brother, noticing right away where he was wounded as the white fabric of his shirt was stained red at his shoulder. His teeth were clenched in pain and his arm was crossed uselessly over his chest, clutching at the wounded shoulder. Sasuke quickly pressed his hands to the wound, ignoring the blood that was now staining his own hands and Itachi's pained gasp at the added pressure.

"Naruto, you injured?" Sasuke called after his brother who had yet to get out of the ditch he had rolled into.

"Are you fucking stupid!? You are the fucking Vice President and you jumped on top of me and used yourself as a human shield! You fucking dumbass! You are worth more than me, you prick!" Itachi was yelling between clenched teeth.

"Shudup," Sasuke remarked simply before he looked over his shoulder at the ditch. "Naruto! Talk to me!" he yelled.

Naruto groaned. "I got grazed and landed in a fucking rose bush, but I'm fine," he called, pulling himself out of the leafage. He had a thorn in his cheek and there were multiple scratches and other blood streaks over his exposed flesh. Sasuke could see where the bullet had grazed his thigh as there was a bloodied hole in the material of his jeans. Otherwise, Sasuke noted with relief, he looked fine.

"Get over here and help me with him. He got hit in the shoulder," he called to the youngest brother who was quickly spurred into action by Sasuke's words.

Naruto was at their side in a moment and Sasuke quickly snatched his hands up and pressed it to Itachi's wounds, replacing his own skinner hands with Naruto larger hands. "Keep pressure. I'm going to go get the truck," he said, already getting up and running off.

He used the downward slope of the hill to propel him down the hill much faster. As he reached the base of the hill he pulled out the keys from his pocket as well as his cell phone. He quickly climbed into the cab of the truck while pressing the speed dial. It rang twice before it was answered as he jammed the keys into the ignition. He kicked the truck into reverse and quickly sped a ways down the road where it was wider and he could have more room to work.

"Hello," his father's voice said over the phone, a smile in his voice. Sasuke could hear some laughing in the background and he was almost certain it was Kiba who was always close by his father as his right hand man.

Sasuke shouldered the phone and turned the wheel until he was perpendicular to the road, performing a three-point turn so he could reverse up the road. The cab was crammed as it was with the three of them in there and it wouldn't be any easier with one of them wounded. It would be easier and quicker to just put Itachi and Naruto in the bed of the truck and have them hold on. Still perpendicular with the road, Sasuke noticed the van down at the end of the road, sitting there. He thought momentarily about going after it but he had to get to his brother.

"Ran into trouble with Militia and Itachi's been shot. We're out on Win Crest Road. I'm getting him out of here, probably will take him to the clubhouse," he said quickly, getting straight to business.

But before his father could speak anything in response Sasuke heard the roar of an accelerating engine. Glancing down the road he saw the van was coming back around, closer than it had been last time. It was going at least sixty by now and still accelerating, intending to t-bone him. He swore into the phone and then dropped it as he jammed his foot on the gas and quickly turned the wheel, trying to get out of the way in time.

The other car was too fast though and the van slammed into the back end of the truck, jerking the entire truck. Sasuke, who hadn't put a seatbelt on when he had climbed in, held tightly to the steering wheel and was nearly lifted out of his seat. He groaned, his head having being jerked around by the impact. He took a moment to assess the damage, finding that the truck was a hairbreadth away from going over the side of the road where there was a steep hill downward with a collection of trees at the bottom. Besides some whiplash, he didn't seem to be injured but he was disoriented from the impact, still trying to get his bearings.

His eyes lazily moved to the rearview mirror and then cursed again as he saw the van coming back for round three. He pressed his foot onto the gas, trying to get it to move but it stalled out, the old piece of shit giving up after the impact. Before he could do anymore the van slammed into him again, sending him off the road. He hadn't even had time to tense up, instead finding himself confused and almost limp as he was thrown around the cab. The truck flipped once, twice, maybe three times, Sasuke couldn't be sure as he was too jostled from everything.

When the truck finally settled at the bottom of this hill everything was almost eerily silent. Sasuke groaned and his head foggy but he could make out what looked like a tree branch beside his face. He could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest, too fast and almost dimly he remembered he hadn't taken his heart meds that morning because he was rushing. He felt's a moment's worry before he brushed it off, telling himself that his heart was racing because of adrenaline and that was going to be fine. He tried to blink the black dots out of his vision but it was quickly swallowing everything up. He was out cold before he could do anything more.

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><p><strong>Um . . . yeah . . . Review?<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi. I'm back. Well, I'm a day early as I've been trying to keep at some sort of schedule (A chapter every other week and Tuesday just sort of became my day since my work doesn't typically schedule me on Tuesdays). But I was really excited about this chapter. I actually finished it about a day after I posted chapter 14 but I wanted to keep to the schedule. So hopefully chapter 16 will be done in time. I'm aiming for the sixteenth so we will see how that works out.**

**I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews and continued support. Thank you all so much.**

**Well, here we go . . . Editing sucks like always.**

**Oh, yeah. The quote below is from Sons of Anarchy, spoken by Charlie Hunnam's character Jax Teller, the main character. I just thought it worked well with the chapter.**

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><p>"<em>There's an old saying that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". I don't believe that. I think the things that try to kill you make you angry and sad. Strength comes from the good things- your family, your friends, the satisfaction of hard work. Those are the things that'll keep you whole. Those are the things to hold on to when you're broken."<em>

_-Jax Teller, Sons of Anarchy, Season 5, Episode 1_

Chapter 15

When You're Broken

Sakura had a bad feeling as soon as Minato's smile dropped when he answered the phone. Just moments before they had been laughing and talking, Tsunade perched in his lap and Kiba hovering beside him while laughing and making raunchy gestures. The phone had rung and he eyed the screen, announcing that it was Sasuke as he answered the phone with a smile on his face. That smile quickly dropped though and all the boys quickly stopped, instantly alert as they waited for their king to speak.

"What do you mean Itachi's been shot?" he asked and then was silent for a moment. "Sasuke?" he questioned after a moment and repeated the call again after a moment. There didn't seem to be a response but Minato pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed a button, allowing us all to hear what he had been. There was a shuffling and the sound of metal or something crunching. The boys stood up, moving closer as the noises continued for a few moments more before the phone suddenly cut off. Everything was eerily silent for a moment before the boys were suddenly moving.

Minato had unceremoniously pulled Tsunade off his lap, though he was careful to be sure she wasn't too jostled, and was standing and shouting to the boys. "Sasuke said they ran into the Militia on the way there. He was on Win Crest Road but he was going to take Itachi to the clubhouse before he was cut off. I don't like the sound of that call, but I'm hoping it's nothing. Still, we should check it out. Choiji and Jiraiya at the clubhouse in case my sons show up. The rest with me, we'll take the van and go to Win Crest and see if they are there."

The boys nodded and went to turn away but Sakura reached out and grabbed Minato's arm. "Wait, if Itachi has been shot he's going to need medical attention. Now, I doubt you are going to take him to the hospital; they have to report every GSW to the police and I don't know if we always report to the local PD. But I can help, I'm a surgeon. I'll need to run to the hospital to steal some clamps and a few other things from the inventory, but I know how to treat him."

Minato eyed her seriously for a moment before he shouted for Konohamaru. "Prospect, you take the doc to the hospital and stay with her. Help her get whatever she needs. Then go straight to the clubhouse. If we aren't there by then help her set up a place to treat Itachi in the chapel."

Konohamaru nodded and was quickly guiding her towards the Cutlass, moving quickly. Behind her she could hear Tsunade yell to Minato that she was going with them and heard Minato grunt in acknowledgement. She also heard Tsunade yelling to Ino to watch Aiden for her. A moment more and Sakura heard the sound of Tsunade's heels behind her. She heard Hinata yell to them that she was going as well and then she heard Sayuki yell that she would meet them at the clubhouse.

Minato watched as the old ladies (and the soon to be old lady) scrambled away, inwardly grateful for the doc. In the past, the closest thing they had to a doctor was some half-assed military first aid training given to one of their nomads when he was in the service but the man had been court-martialed after a few months for malpractice. The guy was very lovable, but he wasn't too good with the medical stuff though they used him because he knew more than the rest of them and was close by too. However, with the doc, he felt more comfortable letting her treat his son. She actually knew what she was doing, was professionally trained, and had the means to get proper equipment. She was a blessing in this crisis.

Minato quickly mounted his motorcycle and gripped his throttle, his fingers protesting in pain. His arthritis was getting bad, needing more joint injections into his hands much more regularly just to help him manage the pain and let him ride. He pulled his hand back; stretching out his fingers and trying lessen the pain. He didn't have time for this; he needed to get to his boys.

Luckily no one seemed to notice his struggle as Sasuke was the one always parked beside him, still was as he had left his bike in favor of the truck, and because his son was almost unnaturally observant. Sasuke had always been very attuned to the things that people say or do and what it means, even as a child. Minato has trusted Sasuke's gut more than one time for the betterment of the club and so far it hasn't been wrong. So no matter how much he tried to hide his pain and struggles, he knew it was useless to try and hide anything from Sasuke. He knew that Sasuke was the only one to regularly notice his hands shaking and struggling to maintain a proper grip and it worried him. He hated that his son stressed out about it as it wasn't a son's job to worry about a parent. But more than once he and Sasuke had been forced to discreetly separate from the boys, whether on the side of the road, a motel or one time in a dirty bathroom in a roadside gas station, for some pain relief on long runs in the form of joint injections. Because his arthritis is in his hands, injecting himself properly is near impossible for him and when they are on the road for runs Tsunade isn't there to do it for him and the task falls on Sasuke's shoulders. Although all three of his boys know he suffers from osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) only Sasuke knows the degree. Naruto was too immature to handle this sort of information while Itachi would constantly insist his father step down from the club and Minato would rather avoid that until he felt he could no longer ride. Sasuke, as his VP and his left hand man, and an unnaturally observant man who noticed his struggles before he had even gotten a definitive diagnosis and had been the one to urge him to go to the doctors, it was in his right to know his medical issues as they kept no secrets from one another because of their positions in the club. Additionally, he trusted his son to be mature and smart about the knowledge, knowing when to say something and knowing when to keep his mouth shut. Since his hands had started getting bad, before he had left to Suna to get them established, Sasuke had taken a more active role in the club, taking a leading role on many assignments just to ensure that his father's hands were discovered by the wrong person. The boys had just thought Sasuke was taking the initiative to learn the ropes and prepare for presidency but he and Sasuke know it's for Minato's sake, not Sasuke's. Minato was extremely grateful for his son.

And now that son could be in trouble alongside his brothers so Minato gritted his teeth and forced his hands to grip the throttle, quickly putting his Harley into motion and leading his brothers into action. For twenty long minutes all there was the roar of speeding motorcycles, going way too fast for the roads but not caring. Pushing their bikes harder, they zoomed faster through the streets until they were fast approaching Win Crest Road.

Minato slowed to a crawl as he approached the part in the road where it began to narrow. He could see tire threads in the dirt road, seeing what looked like a lot of maneuvering in the dirt. The road narrowed considerable up ahead until only one car could comfortable fit the road at a time as it went up a hill. With another steep hill on one side and a wall of close trees and bushes on the other, any maneuvering of a car would have to be done before the road narrowed unless you wanted to wreck your car.

"I would guess two cars were here," Kiba said, studying the married dirt beneath them. His eyes were following the treads of one car, trying to make out where it had gone. It looked like it had turned around and drove out of there after it made some other weird turns. The other car looked it like it had done one turn around and wound up skidding onto the side of the road. Kiba and Minato studied the road some more and noted that there was some broken branches and a smashed bush alongside where one car had been sitting.

Kiba cursed and then quickly kicked out his kickstand before dismounting, jogging over to the side of the road and looking down. "Shit! That's our truck down there!" he yelled to their president. Minato cursed as well and then dismounted his own bike and joined his Sergeant-at-Arms at the side of the road.

"Sasuke!" he yelled down, hoping his son wasn't actually down there.

There was a pause before they heard some yelling up the road. "Dad!"

Minato quickly whirled around and looked up the road, unable to see anything because of the hill. But he had recognized Naruto's voice. He gestured for club van that had been following them to come forward. Shikamaru was driving so he drove up and stopped long enough to Minato and Kiba to jump in before they were taking off again, going up the hill. They quickly spotted them when they reached the top.

Minato was out of the van before it even stopped, jogging up to his sons. Naruto was hunched over Itachi, both of his strong hands pressed to Itachi's shoulder. Itachi was groaning and gritting his teeth, trying to stay strong despite his pain.

"How are you two?" Minato asked quickly, putting a hand on his son's sweaty forehead to brush some of the matted hair away.

"I'm fine. He's still bleeding, but it's slowed a little. If I move my hands, though, it starts bleeding more and if he moves it starts bleeding more. There isn't an exit wound. Sasuke was supposed to be getting the truck that was parked down the hill but he never came back. I haven't been able to get my phone out to call you guys without letting Itachi bleed more," Naruto said quickly, clearly shaken.

Minato eyed Kiba, who was looking at him with an equal looking grim understanding. Sasuke was probably still in the cab of the truck, hurt or even dead. Both Neji and Shikamaru were in the van so Minato nodded to his son quickly before he stood and stepped closer to Kiba.

"Take Neji, go back down the hill and ease your way down to the truck. Shikamaru is going to help me get Itachi and Naruto into the van and then we are going to meet you down there," he said seriously before gesturing from Shikamaru to come forward. Kiba nodded and jogged to the van, speaking quietly to Neji before they were jogging down the hill.

"We're going to get him in the van now. Try to keep as much pressure as you can while we move him," Minato told his youngest while he grabbed a hold of his eldest. Shikamaru was on his other side and on the count of three they pulled Itachi to his feet while Naruto tried to keep pressure. They hurried the Uchiha into the van, sitting him down in the back and throwing a clean bandana at Naruto to press to the wound.

"Get back down that hill. Sasuke went over the side of the road," Minato said quietly to Shikamaru who visually started and stared at him for a moment in shock and confusion. He seemed to be waiting for his president to say that he was kidding or something but then gravely turned back to the road when the older man looked at him impatiently. Shikamaru cursed under his breath.

They were back down the hill and parked, quickly telling Naruto and Itachi to sit tight before they exited the van and rushed to the side of the road and peered down. Kiba and Neji had just reached the truck, carefully braced on the steep ground and edging closer to the cab. They peered in.

"Is he down there?" Minato yelled down anxiously and both boys looked up and nodded grimly. Before Minato could even ask how he looked the boys were prying the door open, needing both of them to force the jammed down to open. Neji was then leaning in for a brief moment before he leaned back out and looked to his president.

"He's unconscious but alive. We're gonna get him outta here and bring him up." Neji quickly moved back into the cab, where Minato could sort of see him climbing through the cab through the back window that was spidered and cracked. Kiba was quickly at the door, leaning in to assist.

Shikamaru quickly pat his shoulder. "You stay up here. I'm going down to help," he said quickly as he carefully started edging himself down the steep incline.

It took several minutes for all three boys to get Sasuke out of the cab and Minato's heart sank into his gut when he saw his son's limp form in their arms. The climb up the hill was difficult and they were all sweating and gasping for breath when they finally reached the top. The whole time they had been down there he could hear Naruto yelling in the van, not knowing what was taking them so long. Minato had ignored it and instead had edged closer to the side of the road, reaching for his son as soon as the boys were within a good distance of him. He soon cradled his smaller son in his arms while Kiba supported his head, in case there was some sort of damage. Shikamaru and Neji ran ahead, Shikamaru going to the driver's seat and climbing in while Neji went to the back of the van and opened it for them.

"Holy shit!" Naruto yelled as soon as Kiba and Minato climbed in with Sasuke. Once Minato got Sasuke situated in his arms he shooed Kiba away. He sent Neji to ride his bike back and both Kiba and Neji quickly exited the van and mounted the Harleys.

"Keep pressure on that wound," Minato ordered Naruto as soon as the van doors closed, shushing his son from voicing his persistent questioning. Soon they were soon in motion, driving towards the clubhouse with Neji and Kiba in front of them. Minato could hear Shikamaru on the phone telling someone that they were on their way and all three boys had injuries of varying degrees.

Minato focused on Sasuke in his arms, trying to wake him. He had an impressive cut on his forehead, near his hairline, which was dripping blood down his face and saturating the collar of his shirt. His lip was busted as well and he had a cut on his arm that was bleeding impressively as well. One of his sneakers was missing and his jeans were ripped at his knee but there was only a little blood there. His left wrist was swollen slightly and there was blood all over his hands but he suspected this was from Itachi and not himself.

He lightly tapped his cheek. "Come on, son, wake up. Come on, it's time to wake up. Come on, come on," he was muttered, hoping to rouse his son.

Sasuke groaned and stirred slightly, attempting to move his head but Minato held him in place. "Don't move," Minato muttered.

Slowly Sasuke came around, his eyes fluttering open slowly. "Fuck," he muttered as he winced.

"Are you okay? Can you tell me what hurts?" Minato asked his son while his two other son's watched anxiously.

Sasuke took a deep breath and then slowly sat up, pushing the hands off of him and ignoring the cries of disapproval and protest from the boys. He lifted a hand to his forehead, wincing when his fingers brushed the wound. He brought his hand way from the wound, examining the blood on his fingers and slowly shaking his head in exasperation. Slowly he took stock of himself, feeling a pain in his side, his wrist, and a few other places. He didn't feel as if anything was broken, or that his head was too messed up. His heart was doing well too, not that he was about to voice that to his father because he didn't want to worry him further. He felt good, despite the circumstances and a few aches.

"I feel fine. A little banged up but I don't feel too bad. A few band aids and some ice and I should be fine," he said to his father before looking to Itachi. "How are you doing?"

"As good as expected," he muttered, attempting to shrug and then quickly abandoning the idea when it pulled at his wound.

Sasuke nodded and then fished out a cigarette from the inner pocket of his cut. He placed it between his lips and then quickly lit it, taking a much needed drag from it to calm his rattled nerves. As soon as the nicotine invaded his senses he felt instantly better and sighed contently. His father was watching him intently, probably looking for signs of pain or discomfort.

"Your girl is at the clubhouse," Minato said after a long moment and Sasuke looked up in surprise. The clubhouse was sacred ground. Only club members and their most trusted friends were allowed inside, beside croweaters who were only there for parties for one certain reason (sex). Even though Sasuke and Sakura were obviously serious, he hadn't brought her around the clubhouse yet. It was one thing to enter the Suna clubhouse as his lady but to enter the maiden charter's clubhouse was definitely a step in the old lady direction.

"She's gonna patch up you boys, act as our own personal doctor for the night," he muttered.

For a moment Sasuke felt pride swell up in his chest but also a sense of lingering doubt. This would be a big test for Sakura. Yes, so far she had handled a lot. She has seen and heard a few things about the club. But nothing like this. She had patched up some cuts and bruises after a brawl, but this a serious club business. One of their own had been shot. That just doesn't happen without repercussions. This was going to be a serious eye opener for Sakura, a test to see if she could handle the big stuff first hand and not just the bruises.

And then after there is going to be a bloody war after an incident like this. Some dumbass Militia man went after an Akatsuki member and ran the VP off the road. Every Akatsuki charter is going to hear about this and want some Militia blood. You don't mess with the President or VP unless you want to start a war and by going after the maiden charter, you are asking for every charter to go ape shit. The only way for this to end is bloody, and with a psycho ATF agent/ex scorned lover up their asses right now that's the last thing they need.

The ride back to the clubhouse wasn't too long as they had been speeding to get back. They were quickly pulling into the clubhouse where the prospect was waiting by the gate. As soon as they were in the lot, Konohamaru quickly closed the gate, putting the club on lock down for the night while they tried to get organized and treated. They parked the van near the entrance to the club and the doors were quickly opened by Choiji and Jiraiya. Carefully, they helped Itachi out of the van and walked him into the clubhouse, Naruto at his side with his hands still pressed to the wound. Minato tried to help Sasuke out of the van but the raven haired male shook him off, insisting he was fine. Together the President and VP entered side by side.

Sasuke found Sakura right away, where she was already in doctor mode and directly Itachi into the chapel. The table that they had been sitting at that morning, with the club's reaper carved into the middle, had a board over the center where the carving lay and some sheets over that to protect the table. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and blue surgical gloves on. She still wore the same clothes as earlier but she had put one of the aprons that were in the kitchen on, probably at Tsunade's insistence because he doubted Sakura cared if she got blood on her clothes. She was helping Itachi onto the table and having him lie down while she fished out packages of gauze from her bag. Sasuke recognized the first aid bag and suspected they may have stopped at the house to retrieve it and even the hospital too.

"Oh, Sasuke, baby! You were hurt too!?" Tsunade asked as she was suddenly at his side.

Sasuke watched as Sakura glanced up quickly at her words, a look of concern passing over her face before her face grew more serious. Her eyes roamed over his form, taking stock, and then returned back to Itachi's shoulder which was the much more serious wound. She would need to get the bullet out and get the wound cleaned out before any injection set in. Once he was stitched up she could focus on Sasuke.

"I'm fine, Ma. Took a tumble in the truck, but I'm fine," he assured the older woman, shaking off her as he went to the bar for a drink. Jiraiya, notorious for constantly having a bottle of some sort of liquor with him-morning, day, or night- was behind the bar and quickly served him a shot. Sasuke gulped it down, grimacing slightly at the burn that traveled down his throat, before he slammed the glass back on the counter.

"Another?" Jiraiya asked and Sasuke considered this for a moment.

"Hand over the bottle," he said simply and Jiraiya laughed humorlessly as he surrendered it without a fight. Within moments the older man had secured his own bottle from behind the bar and was happily glugging away. Sasuke took a long pull from the neck, grimacing some more, before he turned away and seated him at the large table in the front, watching through the open chapel door as Sakura directed Naruto and Neji, who had become her assistant. Within moments she had the bleeding clamped off, gauze fixed over the wound and was quietly telling Naruto that he could go wash up now and that he had done a good job.

She worked professionally and quickly, using Neji as an extra pair of hands. Sasuke was sort of amazed as he watched her work as she seemingly effortlessly extracted the bullet and showed it to a still conscious Itachi, who had only been given a local anesthesia.

"You wanna keep it?" she asked humorlessly but with a warm smile on her face.

Itachi nodded. "Hell ya," he muttered while Sayuki, who had been hovering nearby, stepped forward and took it from the pinkette.

"I'll get it cleaned for you," she said before pressing her lips to his quickly. She pulled away and brushed some of her husband's hair out of his face, smiling down at him softly. "Dumbass," she remarked coolly.

Sasuke eyed her as she stepped away from her husband and went to the kitchen. He had always liked Sayuki. She was kind and soft spoken, often off in the background compared to all the boys and the old ladies who were always yelling and getting into this or that. Sometimes she could even come off as cold, but she fiercely loyal to her family and friends as well as very protective of them. Not to mention she and Itachi were madly in love, enough for her to be able to with stand their mother's overbearing presence and take it all in stride. This afternoon had taken a turn for the worst and even though she had not shown it, she had been scared for her husband.

Sasuke slowly got up and approached her where she stood at the sink, but she kept her back to him despite knowing he was behind her. Sayuki was always very calculating and even if he loved her they sometime had a rocky relationship. He enjoyed messing with her, enjoyed annoying her really. She loved him back, treated him like a brother, but like a brother and a sister they could step on each other's toes from time to time. He could always tell when he had overstepped a line with her and annoyed her because the sweet woman that married his brother disappears and instead an emotionless woman takes her place.

Slowly, he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her from behind, settling his chin on her shoulder. She continued to work, ignoring him for a moment as she washed the blood from the slightly twisted metal of the bullet. Both watched her hands work in silence, watching as the red tinged water circled the drain and lessened in color with each passing moment until the water was finally clean. She shut off the water and then held the bullet in open palm for a long moment, staring thoughtfully at it.

"Tell that girl of yours I say thank you," she said sweetly after a moment in a quiet voice. He nodded slowly before he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and then extracted himself from her. Sayuki quickly returned to Itachi's side while Sasuke returned to his seat and to his liquor.

Sakura was still working and Sasuke soon realized that he was not the only one watching as she worked. The whole club seemed to be hovering, watching as she stopped the bleeding and was working to stitch him up now. Tsunade was hovering as well, her expression carefully blank as she watched the doctor stitch up her eldest son. A moment later Naruto joined him at the table, swiping the liquor from him and taking a large pull from the neck, all the while looking into the chapel. Sasuke glanced down at his brother's leg injury, noting that it was still bloodied.

They sat wordlessly, passing the liquor back forth between them, before Sakura finished up and allowed Itachi to be moved. Quickly removing her dirty gloves and giving Itachi instructions for after care, she quickly scooped up her medical bags and marched over to the other two brothers. She slammed the heavy bag quickly, stepping close to Sasuke as she put on a new pair of gloves.

"Now let me look at you," she said, reaching for his chin so she could turn his face to presumably look at the cut on his forehead but he swatted her hands away.

"I'm fine," he told her. "Look at Naruto first."

She glared at him, her clean gloved hands hovering in the air as to keep them as sterile as possible. "You were in a car accident and you are still bleeding. I need to check you out," she stated seriously.

"And Naruto was shot at. Treat him first," he said, reaching for the liquor again but this time Sakura swatted at his hands.

She glared at him fiercely for a moment before she turned and grabbed a package from her bag. She ripped it open quickly and then threw it at Naruto's face, who yelped in surprise. "Press the gauze to your wound," she told him in a no-nonsense tone. Naruto quickly did as he was told, seeming to be either too afraid of her or shocked by her actions to defy her at that moment.

She then turned to face Sasuke, looking at him with a look that clearly asked if he was happy now. "It's a flesh wound; one isn't even bleeding a lot anymore. Some pressure and it will hold until I'm done. Now you were in a fucking car accident, presumably a roll-over, with a head wound so as your doctor I'm going to check you out. Now shut up, quit drinking, and let me do my job."

Everything was silent for a long time as Sasuke and Sakura both stared at one another, daring the other to back down. Sasuke knew his brothers were all watching him right now, wondering how he will react to her bossing him around, but he somehow couldn't find it in himself to care. Suddenly all he could think about was that night after the brawl when she manhandled him into the chair, intent on treating his injuries. And then he was reminded of his mother's words, seemingly a long time ago now.

"_If you get a girl that is a little bitch __with __you, you will get bored and look for something more. If you find a girl that is a bitch __to __you, you will be happy."_

Sasuke broke the stare off with Sakura to look at his mother who was hovering nearby, looking at Sakura in what appeared to be something akin to approval before she noticed his stare and reined her expression. People always said he was a chip off the old block because he could rein in his expression perfectly. But he had actually learned the trait from his mother, who had learned it from Fugaku. So, by extension, he did learn it from his biological father, though people tended to forget about Tsunade's excellent carefully blank and controlled expressions.

He quickly returned his gaze to Sakura, who looked a little smug as if she knew he was going to give in. She had won the staring contest, and he was going to give her a win on this argument as well. He knew it and so did she. It simply wasn't worth a fight. Sakura had his best interest in mind and as his doctor, rather than girlfriend or lady, she ultimately knew what she was doing.

"Okay," he relented and she quickly got to work, having enough maturity to skip the gloating.

She quickly got to work, taking what looked like a giant cotton swap to the cut on his forehead, rolling it over the wound to clean up the blood. She examined the wound, shaking her head. "This is going to need stitches, but the good news is that it is a closed head wound so you didn't damage the skull. Itachi tells me you were unconscious when you were brought into the van. Do you feel nauseous or dizzy? Head ache or any confusion?"

Sasuke stared straight ahead, looking up at the concentration on Sakura's face. "Nope, a little confusion when I woke up but I feel fine now," he stated.

She nodded and then grabbed a flashlight from her bag, shinning it into his eyes. She waved it for a moment before he had him follow the light, watching his pupils. "You pupils look good, no weird activity. You don't have any symptoms of a concussion, but I'm just going to keep an eye on you for the next few hours, as you were unconscious. Does anything else hurt?" she asked, putting away the flashlight and taking another look over him.

He finally looked away from her to instead look at himself. "Um, my wrist," he said and then took a deep breath and winced a bit. "And my side," he muttered as an afterthought. He chose not to mention his heart beating so fast and irregularly. That was the reason he blacked out, he knew that much, but he didn't feel the need to bring it up.

She nodded and reached over to gently remove his cut. He allowed her to do it, helping her by removing his arms from the sleeves of the leather vest. Very carefully, she folded it like she had seen Sasuke do so many times before and she placed it beside her medical bag. Sasuke watched her do it, knowing she respected everything that the leather represented just by the care she put into handling it. Soon she turned back to him and helped him out of his T-shirt that had been stained red in places by blood. Her eyes quickly narrowed in on his left side, where it was already bruising.

She ran her hands over his ribcage, tracing his ribs gently. He winced when she applied pressure to the ribs on his left side but had to suppress a shiver when she fingers ghosted along his unwounded ribs. She didn't seem to notice his struggle, intently focusing on the task at hand.

"Well, the good news is that your ribs don't appear to be broken. They are bruised, so it's going to hurt for a bit. Some ice should help with the swelling that is already starting. If you feel any difficulty breathing, you have to tell me right away," she told him before she started looking at his wrist.

She worked quickly after that, instructing Neji to get Sasuke some ice while she stitched up his head. She finished quickly and applied a bandage while she took the offered ice from Neji. Neji had taken some ice and wrapped it in a towel. She then took the offered ice and wrapped it around his wrist and then had him press the wrist to his ribs, icing both with on icepack. She then took a second ice pack and pressured it unceremoniously to his busted lip. After cleaning out the scrap on his knee, she told Neji to slap a bandage on it while she removed her gloves for a new pair and moved onto Naruto.

"Can I go back to drinking now?" he asked jokingly to his lady.

"Nope," she fired back quickly without missing a beat and without even looking at him. He chuckled, having expected her answer.

He stood slowly and Sakura glanced at him over her shoulder, wordlessly warning him that she was watching him. He only gave her his same sexy, easy grin and then deliberately marched over to the bar, where he sat innocently beside his mother. Sakura watched him, a warning look in her eyes and Sasuke tried to give her his best innocent expression. She obviously didn't believe him but she looked to Tsunade and some sort of wordless exchanged passed between them before she turned back to Naruto as she took the scissors to the pant leg of his jeans. Whatever she saw must have satisfied her because she turned her focus solely on Naruto now.

"Don't even try getting a drink," his mother muttered beside him and he glared playfully at her.

"You know, I don't like that you two are teaming up against me," he joked.

"Hey, you wanted me to give her a chance, remember?" she reminded.

Sasuke nodded and then looked around the room, watching as the boys hovered around. He glanced at the clock on the wall, knowing it would be getting dark soon and that the club was still expected to do the firework show at the fundraiser tonight. Even if they had a little scare with the Militia today, he didn't anticipate them going for a second attack tonight. The whole thing didn't sit well with Sasuke as he knew that Orochimaru, the president of the Militia, was always very calculating about his every move. Striking at the sons of the president didn't seem like a calculated move, especially considering how the Militia had no way of knowing that they would have showed up this afternoon on that dirt road when they did. Sasuke had a strong gut feeling that Orochimaru won't strike again tonight, and it is important that the town and community know that the club cares. If they skip out on the firework show, it will send a message to the town that they don't care, that they had better things to do. And in order for them to work as survive as they do, they need the support of the town behind them. The club has only survive this long because the while the entire town knows they have side businesses and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, they also know that if they need them the club will always be there because they care about this town. Militia shit or not, they have to be there.

"Dad, when we are all patched up I'm gonna send the boys back to the fundraiser," he announced to his father who was standing across the room. Minato only stared at him, his face calculating.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? What if the Militia strike again?" Kiba asked from his position beside Minato.

Sasuke shook his head. "Orochimaru's not a dumbass. He's gonna know that we are going to be after him and his men after this. He's gonna go on the defensive, on lock down to protect all of his assets. Even if he does decide to be a complete dumbass and attack, he's not gonna do it at the fundraiser. He knows that if he even tries to do anything with this town he will make it much more personal than it already is and we won't stop until every one of his men are dead. We'll wipe him off the map if he goes after this town and he sure as shit knows it. We'll pull every connection we know, every friendly MC and every gun shipment we can get our hands on until those damn sound punks are obliterated. And if Orochimaru is one thing, he ain't dumb."

There was a silence after Sasuke's words, every patched member considering it. Undeniably there was truth to Sasuke's words. The Akatsuki was a very well connected club. They have charters all over the world that would drop everything to come to their aid. They also had a vast network of friendly MCs who owe them after they have helped them over and over again. Everyone knew it was a good thing to get on their good side because they had the power and influence to help or completely cripple you by just spreading the word. Their friends outnumber the friends Orochimaru has been able to get and while they would try to settled their beef without calling in their friends, it's no secret that if it comes down to it they will have every charter coming out with just a phone call.

"And we need to show the town our faces. We can't skip out," Neji said from beside Sakura, who was cleaning out Naruto's wounds but was now distracted by the conversation. Sasuke eyed her evenly, trying to be reassuring and she quickly returned her focus.

"Yeah, you're right. But no one goes by themselves. Watch your backs," Minato said finally, looking around the room. The men nodded.

Sakura stood and removed her gloves, tossing them away into a pile of discarded wrappers and other waste before she put her hands on her hips. "You're all done. Now all three of you can take some pain killers, but take it easy with them, okay? Try to keep your wounds clean, take it easy the next few days, get some rest, and you all should be okay," she stated, looking at each brother evenly before she started to clean up.

Hinata stepped forward from where she had been hovering nearby and stilled her, turning her away from the table so that she could hug the pinkette. Sakura let out a small started noise before she returned the hug happily, accepting her friend's thanks.

"Thank you, Sakura, for patching him up and making sure he was alright," the raven haired female said softly, still locked in a tight embrace with the young doctor.

"Of course, Hinata," Sakura whispered back, conscious of all the eyes on them.

Sasuke watched the exchange with pride and a warm feeling in his gut, unable to stop the grin that started to creep up onto his face. This was a big step for Sakura in ways of her acceptance by the club. She had stepped up, hadn't even thought twice or backed down when she had been called upon. He felt good about this. He had been serious about Sakura all along, but there had always been a sense of lingering doubt in him, his personal insecurities getting in the way. He has had a lot of things go wrong in his life, his life being something somewhat out of the Sid and Nancy handbook. He had long since learned not to count on anything beside his family and yet he relied on Sakura, an outsider, and she hadn't disappointed. Instead she had proven she could handle this, proven that she could even take charge and do more than even the other old ladies could do.

Sasuke was silent for a long moment, finally feeling happy for the first time in a long time. Sure, he had always had his family, but he had felt like he was always missing something. He craved intimacy, craved love. Its way he buried himself whatever pussy he could find at the clubhouse for years. Those girls worshiped him and he wanted nothing more someone to shower him with devotion, if even for a night. But that was never enough and that was why he got girlfriends, someone that would attempt to give him more than just pussy. Someone who would try to give him the intimacy and commitment he craved. Each relationship started out well enough but it was never enough and he was never satisfied, never happy. But this relationship was different and he truly felt happy now.

Sasuke ignored his mother's stare for a long time, focusing on Sakura and Hinata who were no longer embracing up still gently holding on to one another's forearms in a comforting and friendly gesture. They were chatting softly with one another while the boys were now celebrating that everyone was healthy and treated.

"I'm going to go to the tattoo parlor in the next few days," his mother suddenly stated to him and he turned to look at her. Her expression was innocent and very nonchalant but he knew his mother. She never did anything unless there was a reason behind it. "Might take Hinata and some of the other old ladies for some tattoo touch ups," she said simply.

Sasuke studied his mother's easy manner and suddenly understood. He looked to Sakura, looking at her with a degree of tender, loving devotion. "You should take Sakura," he stated equally nonchalant. "You know, let her look at crows or something," he said with an innocent shrug.

Tsunade smiled softly at her son. The crow tattoo was very significant in this club. The reaper was a symbol of death, and what was a crow but an omen of death. When a patched member of the Akatsuki finds himself a lady, he keeps her close. When the relationship develops, the girl becomes an old lady and they get a crow tattoo, a symbol that she was someone important to someone within the club. The boys got detailed reaper tattoos when they patched in, the girls got crows when they make it "in". By Tsunade bringing up the tattoo parlor, she was telling him that his girl had earned her approval. It was sort of a tradition for Tsunade to take her boy's girls to get their first crow tattoo. She took Sayuki when Itachi told her how serious he was about her. She took Hinata after Naruto asked her to be his old lady when the raven haired girl turned eighteen. And now she wanted to take Sakura. And by Sasuke telling her to look at crows then he was telling her he was ready, he was giving her the go ahead.

He was ready for Sakura to be his old lady. He wanted his crow on her skin. He wanted her smile to brighten his day. He wanted her to be the mother to his child(ren). He wanted her unconditional support and love. He wanted her love. He wanted her.

Tsunade smiled softly and then lifted his hand back up to his face. At some point in which he had been sitting there he had let the ice pack fall away from his lip and Tsunade, signaling that this conversation was over, pressed it back to his face. He hissed at the cool temperature change against his busted lip and then rolled his eyes as refocused on the club.

"Who has Aiden?" Sasuke asked while he looked at Naruto was had his hand shoved in the inner pocket of his cut. He was shifting nervously from foot to foot and then he glanced at Sasuke, who gave a comforting smile. Naruto seemed to relax after a moment and nodded in a firm, determined manner.

"Ino has him. I should go back to the fundraiser and relieve her," Tsunade said while standing from the bar stool she had been seated at.

Sasuke caught her arm and smiled at her. "Stick around for a while longer. It will be worth it," he said innocently and then smiled because he couldn't resist. Sasuke was good with secrets, but this was a different sort of secret than he was used to.

"What do you have planned?" she asked suspiciously, her tone dangerous. She knew her boys well enough to know when they were up to something. And they tended to have a pretty good track record for getting themselves into trouble.

Sasuke shrugged and then stood up while the boys began to pile out the door. Sakura was immediately at his side, having already clean and packed up her bag. He tucked her gingerly under his arm on his uninjured side. She smiled up at him, but her eyes told him a different story. They were sort of wide and there was an edge to them, expressing everything she had felt. She had been so afraid for him today, but she hadn't let herself feel it until now. She had forced herself to be strong and level headed, not letting herself feel the panic she felt when she heard he and his brothers had been attacked.

"I'm so sorry I worried you," he whispered to her while the boys stood outside the clubhouse chatting. He, Naruto, and Itachi would not be going back to the fundraiser and Sasuke had a creeping feeling that Minato would not want to leave his boys either. Plus, it was safer to have the president at the clubhouse, especially if there was a small chance that the Militia would attack again, though he doubted they would.

"I was terrified today," she stated simply, her emerald eyes sparkling with emotions she didn't know how to express properly. But that's okay, because Sasuke understood perfectly. He felt the same way she did today when he thought about how her ex was still out there somewhere nearby, watching.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again and pressed his cold lips to warm ones. She clutched at him tightly, but carefully, trying to avoid any of his injuries.

"Don't scare me like that again," she whispered into his skin, locked tightly in an embrace.

He took a deep breath, his eyes closing at the painful knot in his stomach. He wished he could promise her that he would always be safe. But with his lifestyle, that simply was just not an option. There will always be someone wanting his head. There will always be cops he would have to avoid. There will always be blood, money and guns. He couldn't promise her that everything will always be alright because he had no way of knowing that it will.

"I'll try to not let it happen," he promised, and pulled back to look him in the eyes. Somehow she seemed to understand that was all he could give her, an "I'll try". She nodded slowly and then pressed her lips to his carefully, much more mindful of his busted lip in his kiss. It was soft, but not without its emotions. Somehow this kiss was much deeper than any other one of their kisses. It said more, expressed more. It established more.

They pulled away slowly, gasping for breath even though it was a simple kiss. Sakura felt her knees weak and she trembled within his grasp. Very lovingly, he brushed the stray hairs from her ponytail away from her face, stroking her cheek. He stared deeply into her uniquely emerald eyes. Suddenly he knew this was it. Looking into her eyes adoringly, holding her so close he could feel the movement of her chest against his as she breathed, he knew.

"I love you," he whispered so softly she almost didn't hear.

Suddenly she couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think. This was the moment she had been waiting for, that perfect moment when they were surrounded by friends and family and yet it was just the two of them. He was still staring at her, awaiting her answer and yet she still couldn't find her words. Instead, all she could do was smile stupidly while her heart swelled and thumped unevenly in her chest.

Suddenly she realized that this is what she had needed. Earlier that morning when his mother had interrogated her about her feelings, she hadn't been able to find the words. She didn't know. It was obvious that she felt strongly about him, but could she attach the word love to that? This morning, no, she hadn't been ready to. But now, after today and the emotional rollercoaster she had gone through, it was almost shockingly clear.

It took the thought of suddenly losing him, him actually getting really hurt or even possibly dying, for her to realize that she never wanted another day to go by without him. It terrified her that she could lose him. She liked waking up in his arms and the thought of not doing that for even a day was inconceivable. She knew that if he died, she would be lost. Not even because he was helping her feel safe after her ex, but because he made her feel complete. She had found her other half in this crazy, larger than life biker character. She has established this very serious life for herself, as a surgeon, and even more so as a future old lady. Correction, _the_ future old lady. And had it been anyone other than Sasuke, she would never have even thought about it. But he made it worth it. That smile of his, his charm, his loyalty, the undeniable love for his son, the _goodness_ in him; it was all worth it because of all of that. And she wanted that, she loved that.

Today made her realize that she wanted this. She wanted to be the missing puzzle in the family Sasuke had built. Her family had always been unconventional, only her crazy mother and overprotective brother. She had always wanted that complete family unit now she wanted to complete that family unit for Aiden. She wanted to be his mother. She wanted to be the wife, or old lady, of Sasuke. She wanted to be a part of this very large, very intense, very loyal, and very loving family that was the Akatsuki. The club lived in a very bloody and violent world and it was no secret that in order to balance out that intense side of it they all had to love one another so intensely that they would gladly die for one another. Sakura had never seen that level of love and loyalty before and she knew that she would never see anything else like it and she had to grasp it while she could if she really wanted it. And she did.

So she let her actions speak for her, giving her brain a chance to catch up. She threw herself at him, wrapping herself around him as tightly as she could. Injuries be damned, she couldn't even remember where he had been hurt at that moment. He didn't seem to be hurting as he embraced her as tightly as she was him. He hoisted her small frame easily, her legs coming to wrap around his waist while her arms were tightly wound around his neck. Their lips mashed passionately, sending them both into cloud nine. Sakura felt Sasuke's hands on her ass, squeezing them.

They pulled away when they heard a chorus of catcalls and loud laughter. Sasuke glanced simply at his brothers who were all straddling their bikes with the exception of men of his family who were standing with their respective old ladies.

"Hey, that's not resting," Kiba yelled before he roared his engine and led the boys out of the lot. Sasuke had enough time to flick him off, while still holding Sakura's slight form, before they all left.

Sakura than ghosted her hands over his stubbled jaw, drawing his attention back to her. She pressed a meaningful but tender kiss to his lips. "I love you too," she whispered finally, causing Sasuke to smile into the kiss as their lips met again.

"Okay, you two, at least sit down! You were in a car accident today!" Tsunade yelled at them and Sakura finally came to her senses, realizing the truth to the blonde woman's words. She detangled herself from him slowly, lowering herself to the ground but keeping him close, her arms settling at his waist. She guided him over to the picnic table outside the clubhouse doors and they were soon joined by the rest of their little group. Minato and Tsunade settled next to her and Sasuke on one side of the table while Hinata, Naruto, Itachi and Sayuki seated themselves on the other side.

It didn't take long after they had seated themselves and were chatting idly for the loud pops and booms of the fireworks to start in the dark sky. The eight of them looked to the sky, watching the fantastic colorful lightshow in the sky, no words needing to be said. Everything was incredibly peaceful all of a sudden, the world seeming to stop amidst the chaos for one brief moment of peace and closeness between family. Sakura couldn't help the smile that graced her lips, snuggling closer to Sasuke as she took in the moment, her mind almost in disbelief that this was where she was. She never imagined months ago that she could feel this sort of peace that she was feeling now, sitting with the immediate family of biker royalty.

Naruto stood up suddenly, a sudden flutter of nervous energy. He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and had this sort of self deprecating smile on his face. He took a deep breath, muttering under his breath something like "I can't believe I'm doing this," and Sakura looked to Sasuke for explanation but he only smiled knowingly.

"Well, this wasn't exactly how I had planned it. It was supposed to be among the entire town, the entire club, underneath the fireworks, but I didn't really anticipate that we would get shot at today. So this will have to do, with only the immediate family here," he said nervously before looking at Hinata, who was still seated and looking at him questioningly.

"Hinata, I knew as soon as we went on our first date that you were it for me. You had always just seemed to perfect for me, especially with that cute sky smile you kept giving me on that date. You are my exact opposite and I know that I'm not the easiest person to love, but you do it anyways. You are way more than I deserve, but I will work every day to make myself better for you and give you everything in my power that you deserve and more," he stated sincerely to a shell shocked and clearly overwhelmed Hinata.

Slowly, Naruto reached into the inner pocket of his cut, grabbing something he had been fiddling with all day. He procured a black little velvet box and with deliberate slowness to take it easy on his injured thigh, he got down on one knee. He opened the box with a little creak, displaying the very large ring Naruto had picked out. It was white gold, with a large sparkling square-cut diamond, the biggest diamond Sakura had seen. The band itself was encrusted with smaller diamonds, wrapping around the entire band. Hinata let out a shocked little noise, one hand automatically reaching up to cover her mouth while tears well up and Naruto gently took her other hand. She blinked tears out of her eyes, a few rolling down here face without control.

"Hinata, will you do me the incredible honor of being my wife?" the blonde haired knuckle head asked sincerely. Sakura inwardly laughed, knowing that Sasuke probably told him to say that. Sasuke was more of a smooth talker compared to Naruto, every silver-tongued. That phrasing of his question sounded more like Sasuke's work than Naruto's.

Hinata laughed and chocked on a sob at the same time, fumbling with words that seemed to be stuck in her throat. Instead, she just nodded quickly and happily. She reached for him then, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. The family cheered, clapping and laughing at the two lovebirds as they finally separated after a long kiss and Naruto finally slipped the ring onto her finger. The couple marveled at the perfect fit, and even Sakura was surprised at how perfect the ring looked on her delicate finger despite its size.

Tsunade was up in a second, pulling them each into tight hugs and all smiles. Hinata was still crying, happy tears streaming down her face while she laughed. After Tsunade had given each one of them a tight hug and whispered gentle, quiet words to each of them, she whirled around to glare at Sasuke half-heartedly, too happy to be really mad.

"You knew, didn't you?" she accused and Sasuke with smiled innocently with a small shrug.

"I was sworn to secrecy. But, yeah, I knew," he stated easily.

Naruto laughed. "He helped me pick out the ring and then we went out to celebrate," Naruto laughed, no longer nervous but instead just beaming with pride and happiness.

Sasuke laughed and then looked to his mother teasingly. "Came home smelling like a brewery," he stated and Tsunade's jaw dropped, realizing how she had yelled at him this morning about it. She laughed a second later, overjoyed, and quickly took the couple into another tight hug.

Sakura leaned close to Sasuke, the puzzle pieces falling into place for her as well. She whispered to him quietly, so quiet only they could hear. "Was that what the money was for? You loaned him the money to buy the ring. That thing is huge, how much did it cost?"

Sasuke leaned close as well, shaking his head slowly. "More than that truck I plan to buy and that's all I'm going to say," he muttered before he stepped forward to pull Naruto into a hug. Sakura could sort of make out Naruto quietly thanking his brother very sincerely.

Sakura took this time now to scoop up Hinata, taking her hand and examining the ring that Sasuke had paid for. She shook her head in awe, muttering a "Christ," before she smiled easily at Hinata and quickly pulled her into a tight hug. She would have to tell Sasuke that when the time came for them, she didn't need a rock like that. It was perfect for Hinata, but much too big for Sakura's own taste.

"Congratulations. I'm so happy for you," she told the raven haired girl honestly.

Hinata laughed in disbelief. "Thank you. Oh, I'm so surprised! For a minute there I was sure he was never going to propose. I'm just so happy," she gushed.

"You deserve this happiness," Sakura said genuinely.

Hinata leaned close again and whispered to her quietly. "Who knows, maybe you'll be next. Sasuke has never been one to just sit around. Your day may be here sooner than you think," she muttered and Sakura looked over her shoulder to stare at Sasuke. He was standing with his brothers and his father, big smiles on all of their faces. He must have sensed her stare because he looked up and smiled at her easily, that same sexy grin that made her knees weak.

"Who knows," Sakura whispered absentmindedly.

Overhead, the fireworks still boomed.

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><p><strong>Ta da? Tell me what you think?<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Well, I'm a little later than I expected but not by much. Only a few days. I was aiming for the 16th of July to post but the chapter turned out a little longer than I expected and I've got caught up at work. But it's done now. Here it is. **

**Thanks again for all the reviews and continued support. I'm still hoping someone will make a banner for this story because I'm far too lazy to do it myself.**

**Please enjoy though be mindful of the fact that I didn't edit it very well.**

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><p>Chapter 16<p>

The Crow Flies Straight

Sakura and Sasuke awoke bright and early Sunday morning by the sound of the phone ringing. Yesterday had been the day of the fundraiser and after the firework show the club had gone back to the clubhouse, where they immediately were told of Naruto's and Hinata's news. Of course, this meant that a celebration was in order and everyone had piled into the clubhouse and did a toast to the happy couple. Of course the boys didn't stop at one drink and they ended up drinking and partying until the wee hours of the morning. Sasuke and Sakura had been one of the first to leave, taking Aiden home so he could sleep, at one in the morning.

Now the phone was ringing and the couple rolled away from one another, groaning as their sleep was disturbed. Sasuke rolled over and grabbed the phone while Sakura put the pillow over her head, trying to get back to sleep.

"Hello?" she heard Sasuke mutter in a groggy tone. There was a beat of silence before he spoke again. "Um . . . yeah, okay. I'll get her," he said in the same tone and then was gently nudging her.

"What?" she complained, pulling her head out from under the pillow. Sasuke wordlessly handed her the phone, slumping back into the bed with his face in one of the pillows.

Sakura's eyebrow rose in question and she hesitantly answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Do you work today?" Tsunade's voice said and Sakura was instantly awake at the blonde woman's voice. She sat up quickly and looked around, trying to figure out an answer to that question. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand quickly to note it was almost seven in the morning.

"Well, its Sunday . . . so no, I don't have to work today," she recalled slowly, going over her schedule in her head.

"Good," Tsunade cheerfully said, "I'm taking the girls out today. I'll be over at eight to pick you up." And with that, she hung up, leaving a very confused pinkette.

She looked at Sasuke beside her who was lying on his stomach. He slowly turned his head, one eye peaking at her. She stared at him in question, looking at the clock again before she shook her head in disbelief. "Does your mother sleep at all?"

He shrugged sluggishly. "Your guess is as good as mine. Just think, I grew up with that."

Sakura winced. "You have my condolences," she muttered before climbing over him reluctantly. He quickly gripped her wrist before she could get far, muttering something sleepily that sounded as if he was asking where she was going. "You're mother will be here at eight to pick me up so I have to get ready," she said before dipping in to kiss his head quickly before she exited the room to go shower.

She had showered, dressed and just finished with her hair when she heard the knock on the door followed a beat later by the lock turning. Tsunade let herself in and quickly found her way to the bathroom where Sakura was standing, applying mascara. This would be the extent of her makeup today, she decided, too lazy to do more.

"A little bird told me that you have a fancy charity dinner coming up. So we are going to met up with the girls and go shopping, get out nails done, get some lunch, and some other things as well," she said in a tone that left no argument.

Sakura nodded and found herself actually finding today's activities exciting and relaxing. Sure, a day with Sasuke's mother wasn't necessarily a walk in the park but the activities themselves sounded fun. Plus Hinata was going to be there and she could use a girl day. Not to mention she did need to get a dress for the charity dinner. This could be a good day if she let it.

She went to check on Aiden before they left. The young boy was awake when she entered, cooing softly to him as he watched his mobile. Sakura quickly scooped him up and pressed a soft kiss to his head, smiling as he giggled at her love. Tsunade hovered watching at his son's lady, or rather his old lady now, as she cooed and lovingly cradled her grandson. Now that the older woman had accepted the pinkette, she couldn't help but feel warmed by the sight. She could see the amount of devotion Sakura had for this family, as a stand-in mother and as the old lady. Sakura had her head on straight and had a strong heart. She would need both for the job she had signed herself up for when she got in bed with her son. It was more than just playing house but Sakura had proven that she could handle it. Now it was just up to Tsunade to take the younger girl under her wing and teach her the ways of the old lady and being the queen.

Sakura turned and gave Tsunade a small smile. "Let me just go give his little guy to his father," she said before directing her attention to Aiden and speaking in a high baby voice. "We have a full day ahead of us and we need to get going. Daddy can take care of you, yes he can. Daddy just needs to get off his ass and out of bed and I'm going to make him," she said sweetly and then made her way into the bedroom. Tsunade followed behind with a smile on her lips.

Sakura was now standing beside the bed, nudging Sasuke awake with her foot. Sasuke groaned and rolled away from her, turning to stare up at her in confusion. Before he could even get a word out Sakura was already speaking while gently handing Aiden over to his father. "Your mother and I are leaving. Aiden was up and needs to be feed and changed. Also, we are low on food so you should go shopping today. I started a list earlier in the week but you need to finish it. Oh, and add diapers to the list, Aiden only has a few left so that needs to be remedied as soon as possible. Oh, and if you could the house is in need of a good dusting too, so if you get a chance that would be great. You should call Naruto and have him help you. He's less banged up than you and he does sort of owe you big," she said all too sweetly and then bent over to kiss Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed, sitting up with Aiden cradled in his arms and kissed her back. "Anything else on your "honey, do" list?" he asked sarcastically.

Sakura flashed her winning smile and then winked at him. "If I think of anything else I'll text you," she joked. She then sauntered out smugly awhile Sasuke looked down at his son in confusion.

"How the hell did that happen?" Sakura heard him ask his son as she walked out and she laughed. Sasuke was muttering something about having a "guy's day with his son since your mother is having a girl's day" when Sakura smiled and made it to the door. Her heard was bursting with pride at Sasuke's words. He had called her Aiden's mother, even if he probably wasn't aware that she had heard him. Still, it was enough to make her very happy, to feel complete as if she was finally where she was meant to be and knowing that Sasuke considered her family made it better.

Tsunade was waiting for her right outside the door, a small pleased smirk on her face. "Nicely done," she said with a small laugh.

Sakura just shrugged her shoulders. "Well, there are some things that need to be done around the house that I had planned to do today. Well, plans have changed but there's no sense in waiting another day when Sasuke sitting on his ass all day."

Tsunade laughed again softly, shaking her head slowly. "I'm liking you more and more," she muttered as she steered them towards her car. It was a sleek Lexus sedan, silver in color, with customized parts and electronics. Obviously, it was very expensive, more than the wife of a small family owned auto shop owner should have. Plus, Sakura had noticed that Tsunade seemed to love her designer boots and heels.

There were some obvious advantages to this life, though Sasuke's accounts had obviously taken a hit when Aiden was hospitalized. Plus, from Sakura's understanding, Sasuke was away from the gun running business for some time while he was in Suna. All that time he hadn't been making money like the boys had been. Instead, he had been draining his accounts. And now that he was back making money, he was still paying out of pocket for all of Aiden's hospital bills which the insurance company wasn't paying anymore, paying for his own heart medications that, again, the insurance company wasn't covering, saving up for a future surgery Aiden will need for his heart, paying his other bills including cable, phone services, house payments, club dues, etc, all while he continued to pull Naruto out of financial trouble because the blonde had not sense of responsibility and spent all of his money like he was dying tomorrow. Though he never said anything, Sakura had seen more than one worried look on Sasuke's face as another bill came in the mail and she knew he was too proud to ask for help. Sakura silently resolved to speak with him about it later as she climbed into the passenger seat of Tsunade's car.

"So you like me now?" she couldn't help but ask.

Tsunade seemed to realize her slip and just gave the younger girl a look that told her to be quiet. Sakura smiled softly but did as she was silently told; buckling her seatbelt as Tsunade pulled away from the curb she had been parked beside and started down the road. They drove in silence for some time, some folk rock song playing softly in the background. Sakura recognized the song only because it was one of Sasuke's favorite songs and periodically would play it around the house or hum it in the shower or while he worked in the kitchen.

"I will not be commanded. I will not be controlled. I will not let my future go on without the help of my soul," she sang softly. Tsunade looked at her as if she was surprised that she knew the song but didn't say anything.

Tsunade finally pulled the car to a stop of some nondescript parking lot behind a few shops in the business district. There were several stores connected to one another so when they parked Sakura wasn't sure which shop they were about to enter. Truthfully, she hadn't spent much time in all the stores in town yet as she was with Sasuke or at work a lot and she honestly didn't know where Tsunade was taking her.

"Are we meeting the other girls here?" she asked and Tsunade nodded.

The women exited the car wordlessly and Sakura followed the older woman as she entered through the back door of one of the shops. There was a small sign above the door that read "Lady Luck's", whatever that was. Tsunade walked in with an air of confidence, walking as if she owned the place. They traveled down a narrow halfway, passing up a few small rooms that looked like private stalls with a single professional chair, a small stool and a counter.

When they reached the main part of the little shop, Sakura instantly understood where they were. The front of the shop had a desk and some chairs that lined the front window. Behind the desk was where the work was done. There were some stations set up along the wall with more professional chair or beds set up in front of them. The walls were pained a deep rich red with various edgy framed photographs hanging everywhere. Some were of tattoos, some were of urban scenes, some desert pictures, some forest pictures, some ocean pictures. There were several pictures of different Harley motorcycles on the wall, some by themselves and some with the owner posed next to it. It was sort of an edgy, cluttered decoration, but each picture told a story. Sakura noted at on the right wall was a very large framed photo. It was of a very familiar tattoo, Sasuke standing with his back to the camera, head turned slightly to look over his shoulder with a serious expression, displaying his back piece that he had. On his right was Naruto, looking over his shoulder with a goofy grin, and on his left was a much taller man that Sakura didn't recognize and wasn't even looking over his shoulder so Sakura had no clue what his face looked like. Both Naruto and the mystery man had the identical back tattoos as Sasuke. The center of the room had a couch and a few ornate chairs surrounding a coffee table where a woman was seated drinking her morning coffee. The woman looked over at them when Tsunade stepped off the carpeted area and her heels clicked nosily.

"Right on time, once again. You know, you could stand to be a few minutes late. I haven't even finished my morning coffee," the woman said in a soft voice.

Tsunade laughed. "Drink your coffee, the other girls are late so you don't have to start right away," she said warmly. She seated herself beside the woman easily and then gestured for Sakura to take a seat across from them. The chair was huge and had a sort of antique style to it but big enough to fit two people comfortably. Sakura took this moment to study the woman as she seated herself.

She was a pretty woman, though very different from what she was used to. She was pale with lavender eyes, whether contacts or natural Sakura wasn't sure, that was framed by a professional looking smoky eye. Her hair was blue but judging by the light color of her eyebrows Sakura could assume she used to be a blonde before she discovered hair dye. She had a silver ball under her lip, directly under the fullest part of her lip, a labret piercing. She was wearing a pair of skin tight black pants, ripping along her thighs and knees to reveal tattooed skin. She was wearing a loose fitted tank top with scoop neck and was ripped to bare her tattooed midriff. Directly over her breasts was the ionic reaper, his mouth open and holding the red cloud there.

"Sakura, this is Konan. She is the club's favorite tattoo artist and the old lady of Pain, the president of the Nomad charter. Konan, this is Sakura, Sasuke newest lady."

Konan nodded. "Oh, yeah, I heard about you. All the little croweater have been bitching and moaning because a doctor has caught Sasuke's attention. Hasn't been giving them any attention for some time and they are getting pretty desperate for his dick," she said calmly, as if she was speaking of the weather. Sakura's eyes bulged slightly but she still shook the hand that Konan extended to her.

"Nice to meet you," she muttered quietly, her mind still reeling at the news that croweaters were after Sasuke. Konan laughed softly at her expression.

"So, what are we here for today?" Konan asked as she took another sip of her coffee.

Tsunade pulled down the hem of her fit black tank top, revealing the crow tattoo on the top portion of her left breast. "I need a touch up on my crow, Hinata is going to need another date added to her wrist, and Sasuke said he wanted this one to look at crows," the older woman said as she gestured to Sakura. Sakura blinked in confusion while Konan looked at her with undisguised shock.

"You are getting Sasuke's crow? I didn't think I would see the day. That boy has never been one to settle down. You must have a magic pussy or something," she remarked easily.

Sakura blushed. "What?"

Tsunade smiled and held up a hand so Konan would say no more. She angled her body towards the pinkette. "In the club, we have some set rules and traditions. When a prospect patches in and becomes a real functioning member of the club, they have permission to get some sort of Reaper tattoo. Minato has the reaper on his bicep, Kiba on his forearm, Itachi on his chest and you've obviously have seen Sasuke's and Naruto's who got the full patch on their backs," she said, gesturing to the large framed photo of the boys backs again.

"The women, however," she continued, "are not allowed to get a reaper tattoo unless it is just the word, like Hinata's and even that had been questionable for some time. Instead, when the ladies make it to old lady status, their men has them marked with a crow tattoo, as the Reaper is the bringer of death while a crow is just an omen of death. In a way, when a person sees a crow on a woman's skin, it is a way of telling them to back off and not touch or else they will definitely be meeting with the Reaper Crew. And yesterday Sasuke told me he wanted you to look at crow tattoos."

Sakura blinked slowly. She examined the crow peeking out from beneath Tsunade's shirt and then glanced at Konan who was bearing her own crow right above the hem of her pants. Tsunade's crow was in mid flight while Konan's has perched on a branch next to where a detailed, beautiful blue flower was blooming. Dimly, she recalled that Hinata had showed her that she had a crow on her lower back and she had even seen a small crow on Tenten's wrist, at the base of Sayuki's next, sometimes covered by her silver hair and one on Ino's skinny shoulder. She had never thought anything of it, never connected that they were all old ladies and had some sort of common theme.

"If Sasuke wants me to look at crows, does that mean I'm an old lady now?" she asked stupidly, still trying to wrap her mind around it.

Yes, they had admitted that they loved each other, but she hadn't imagined what it would mean for their relationship. Of course, she had just assumed that they would go on as normal, if not slightly more serious, like in all other normal relationships when the "L word" is dropped. But of course, this wasn't a normal relationship. This was a MC relationship. The "L word" gets dropped and they go get branded in ink.

She was an old lady now, she thought in wonder. She almost didn't believe it. It seems as if she and Sasuke had been talking about this for so long, talking of the future. It had seemed so daunting, the task of earning this title. But now it was here and it had been so surprisingly easy. All it had taken was almost losing Sasuke in a car crash to realize that she loved him. And after expressing that to one another, they were there now. Old lady and Old man.

"Welcome to the club," Konan said with a teasing smile. Sakura couldn't help the smile that over took her face and even Tsunade couldn't help feel a sense of pride that this was her son's chosen old lady in front of her.

Konan drained the last of her coffee before she set the mug down on the table. She stood up then, walking easily in what looked like six inch death heels over to the front desk. She bent down and thumbed through some binders for a moment before she found the one she was looking for and walked back to the couch.

"This your first tattoo, honey?" she asked as she handed the binder over to the pinkette.

"Yeah," Sakura muttered as she read over the spine of the binder, reading in big black messy handwriting "CROWS". She flipped open the front cover and saw that it was a collection of photographs of tattoos and sketches, but all of them crows. Most of them were pretty realistic, very well done sketches or tattoos. Others were simpler, like silhouettes and such.

"Oh, good, I love virgins," Konan laughed before she turned her attention to Tsunade. Soon they were immersed in a conversation about Tsunade's tattoo, talking about faded lines and Konan's plan for richer color. They weren't far into the conversation when the sound of the back door reached their ears and Hinata and Sayuki were soon within the room. After exchanging their greetings Hinata seated herself next to Sakura in the large chair, looking over the book with her.

"So what's this I hear about you needing another date added to your tattoo? You pregnant or something?" Konan asked Hinata after a moment and Sakura stopped looking through the book to watch.

Hinata laughed easily, obviously used to Konan's calm but blunt way of speaking. She shook her head dismissively before she extended her hand. "No, I'm not pregnant. Naruto proposed last night."

Konan leaned forward to grab at the extended hand, her eyes budging slightly at the rock on Hinata's delicate finger. "Damn, look at the size of that thing. What do Naruto do, sell his soul for that thing? I was always under the impression that Naruto was broker than a homeless man. I think Sasuke has paid for his last three tattoos."

Hinata laughed again, obviously still in the giddy stage of excitement over the new development in her relationship. She shrugged happily while she giggled. "I don't know where he got the money but he said that he would only have the best for me," she said happily, wiggling her fingers. Sakura guiltily looked away.

"How do you keep your hand up with that thing on it? It must be heavy," Konan joked while Sakura pretended to engross herself in the pages in front of her just so she didn't have to think about where Naruto got the money.

Somehow she knew that if Hinata knew that Naruto had borrowed it from Sasuke, the raven haired woman would feel bad. She had expressed in the past that she worried about Sasuke now that he had so much responsibly as the father of a sick baby. Hinata was a loving and caring soul. She looked to Sasuke as the brother she never had and they have gotten close to one another over the years. Hell, Sasuke had taught her how to drive, is always there when she needs advice about her relationship with his brother because he knows him best, and has always had her back when Naruto isn't around. Plus, she watches Aiden a lot for Sasuke, when he has club business or has to go to work, and she has been the bills piling up on his kitchen table. She worries a lot about him and it would really upset her to know that he basically bought her the overly expensive engagement ring.

Sakura felt someone's stare and looked up through her lashes to see Tsunade staring at her suspiciously; ignoring the conversation Hinata and Konan were having about the ring. Sakura ducked her head away, not wishing to reveal anything by looking into Tsunade's eyes. The older woman was smart, she was capable of putting the pieces together if Sakura gave away too much unintentionally.

"You pick out one you like yet?" Sayuki asked from the chair beside her.

Sakura snapped her attention back to the other woman momentarily before she looked back to the book. She had been staring at one in particular for awhile, finding it different and tasteful. It was messier than the other sketches in the book, looking to be drawn with a less practiced hand compared to that of an artist. It was a side view of a crow silhouette, completely black in color and in contrast to the white paper. Some carefully placed lines were left untouched, the white of the paper shining through to create a better picture of the crow with more details than just the shape. The wings were extended in flight, its clawed feet pointed out as if to land somewhere. However, the most beautiful part of the tattoo was the design on the wings. On each wing were carefully drawn branches with what looked like cherry blossom flowers blooming on it, white in color and using the negative space to get the pattern out.

"I like this one," she said, pointing to the unique bird.

Konan leaned forward and then snorted, shaking her head in what looked to be disbelief. "You have got to be shitting me?" she said and everyone looked at her in question.

She pointed to the picture. "It's funny that you should pick that one. It's one of the few designs that weren't drawn by Pain or me. It was drawn years ago, right here at this coffee table while I gave Minato a tattoo. I was scarcely eighteen years old; our young artist was a mere fifteen I think. He sat right here for three hours, quietly sketching while I worked. And then when I was done, he finished with the sketch and told me to hang onto it. Gave me permission a few years back to put it in the book, claiming he had given up on trying to find an old lady. Our Sasuke decided that he was just going to live his life as a ladies' man and didn't see a point holding onto the design when he wasn't going to have an old lady to put it on."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Sasuke drew this for his future old lady?"

Konan nodded and Hinata smiled sweetly at her. "It's fate."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, muttering something about Hyuugas and their damned belief in fate. "There's no such thing as fate," she stated.

X

The girls spent the morning at the tattoo shop, Sakura's tattoo taking the longest. By the time they had finished it was already time for lunch, which they all quickly did including the two porn queens when they arrived. Sakura was surprised to see that the two porn queens were slightly nicer to her now after arriving and seeing her getting a crow on her left shoulder and back. The highest point of her tattoo was at her shoulder, the lowest right below her shoulder blade. It was almost as if they were having second thoughts about hating her now that she was clearly here for the long haul.

After lunch the girls had all gotten their nails and feet done because, as Tsunade reasoned, Hinata couldn't be showing off her ring without pretty acrylic nails and you can't just do your hands without tending to your feet too. Sakura decided against getting a full set of nails for herself like the other girls as she was a surgeon and didn't want it getting in way. Instead, she just had her nails buffed, trimmed, polished and painted. The woman painting her nails had surprised her by painting her thumbs a light shade of pink that almost matched her hair and then the rest black. But instead of leaving it there she did a pretty detailed free-handed design on the nails of her ring fingers in white. The design was familiar to her now, the face of the Reaper.

After their nails and feet were done they had gone shopping. Of course Tsunade found a sale on designer boots which she nearly beat a woman when she tried to make a grab for the boots she wanted. After a few hours of shopping they finally stopped at a dress shop and all the girls helped Sakura pick out the perfect dress for the charity dinner. It was very different from Sakura's usual taste but she was feeling good and very powerful after getting her tattoo that proclaimed her an old lady. She was on top of the world at the moment and it didn't take as much convincing as she thought it would to get her into the dress and then she had been surprised at how good she looked and felt in it.

By the time they were done shopping it was already getting late so they each called their men to relate that they were going to go out to eat again and not to expect them for dinner. They went to the best restaurant in town and were seated at their largest table. Tsunade sat at the head of the table, but she wanted Sakura in the chair to her left. Hinata had only laughed and then leaned close to Sakura.

"If this was the club, the King gets the head of the table and the VP gets the left chair. Now that you are Sasuke's old lady, expect to always be on her left when it's just us old ladies. Then someday, you will be at the head of the table and I will be to your left." Sakura had only laughed, finding this world so very different and complicated than what she was used to.

The girls had spent a long time at the restaurant, eating, talking, laughing and drinking. By the time Tsunade finally took her home she was feeling pretty good after she polished off three (or maybe four or five, she lost count at the end) strong margaritas. The house was cleaned and fully stocked again, Aiden was already in asleep and Sasuke was on the couch. When Sakura approached him she was surprised to find him asleep on the couch, though she wasn't surprised to see Naruto snoring on the other couch as well. Sakura did her nightly routine in the bathroom of washing her face and teeth and took care of her tender tattoo before made her way back into the living room.

She knelt down beside her old man and gently shook him awake. His eyes fluttered open slowly before he gave a sleepy smile. She leaned forward and pressed a gently but meaningful kiss to his lips.

"Come to bed," she whispered before he gently tugged him off the couch. He followed without complaint, stopping only to turn off the TV when he noted Naruto was passed out as well.

Sakura gently climbed onto the bed as soon as they entered the bedroom, perching herself on the edge and pulling him close. He stood between her parted thighs, hunched over slightly to press their lips together and cupping her head with both hands. Sakura wasted no time deepening the kiss, pressing her tongue into his mouth. He let out a moan before he pulled away, smirking at her.

"How much have you had to drink?" he questioned while smoothing down some of her hair.

Sakura looked as if she would deny it before she noted the look on his face and knew that he had probably tasted the alcohol on her tongue. She shrugged innocently. "I'm a little buzzed," she admitted after a moment and then gave her best smile.

Sasuke chuckled and then shook his head before pressing a kiss to her lips. It was a chaster kiss than the last one and he quickly pulled away so that he could get ready for bed, prompting a disgruntled groan from Sakura but the young surgeon was suddenly too tired to do much more. She stripped herself of her shirt, so she was sitting in her bra and jeans, and then stared at Sasuke's bare back as he stood at the dresser. He slowly removed his jeans, being careful not to twist too much as his side was still tender from the car accident. Sakura watched him, watched the reaper flex on his back, before she decided to get more comfortable. She quickly stripped off her bra, throwing it aside, and flopped on her back. She was going to remove her jeans but she was suddenly way too tired.

After Sasuke had removed his clothes and stared at his parent's photo on his dresser like he always did before bed, he turned and was greeted by a very beautiful sight. Her jean clad legs still dangled over the edge of the bed while her bare breasts were exposed to his sight. Her arms were above her head, her head lulled to the side and she was barely awake.

"I need help getting out of my jeans," she muttered tiredly.

Sasuke blinked several times, frozen for a long moment before he grappled down his sudden arousal. He shook his head after a moment, swallowing tickly and stepping closer to her. "You get a little loose when you're drunk, don't you?" he joked to ease the tension in himself. She certainly wasn't making this easy on him. She only grumbled something incoherently in response.

He bent forward and gently removed the tight jeans from her body, leaving her in only her lacy panties. However, when he tried to get her to put on one of his Reaper shirts she refused, unwilling to sit up to allow him to get the shirt on her. He sighed and then gave up, tucking her under the blankets instead. He would just have to be careful not to let her get up in the middle of the night for some reason. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to wake up and find his half drunk old lady walking around in only a pair of panties.

She grumbled something about a tattoo as he climbed into bed beside her and she rolled off her back. She climbed atop of him, laying flush against him. She pulled the blankets away from her, pressing her naked breasts to his stomach as her head settled in the nook of his neck. A hand settled over her surgical scar that ran down the middle of his chest while her other arm hooked around his. She muttered something incoherently into his skin and then drifted to sleep.

Sasuke sighed and ran a hold over the bare skin of her arm. He stopped after a moment when he noted the tattoo on her left shoulder. He craned his neck to get a better look at crow, immediately recognizing the design despite how red and angry the fresh tattoo still looked. He smiled softly and shook his head in wonder.

He had completely forgotten about the design he had draw so many years ago, back before his "whore" years when he still believed in love. It was back in the time when he wasn't a part of the club and hadn't seen all the dysfunctional relationships the guys got themselves into. It was back in a time where he had watched his Ma and Da love one another fiercely and he had thought he wanted nothing more than that. And then he prospected and then patched in as a member, tried his hand at different girls, crow eaters mostly who wanted him for being a patched member, who didn't have it in them to make the cut. After awhile he simply gave up, having seen too many of his brothers try at relationships and fail. He had watched Kiba get married, and then divorced, then re-married to a different girl only to end up divorced again, now stuck with monthly child support payments. He had seen Jiraiya completely lose his shit when his old lady ran off and began to spiral down in a lonely habit of alcohol, pussy and weed. He had watched as Ino and Shikamaru nearly tore themselves apart fighting over her career as a porn star to the point where everyone was sure that they were going to get divorced (only calling a ceasefire when Ino accidently got pregnant and forced her to retire from her on-camera work where she then found her true calling as a director/producer and also motherhood). He had seen Itachi strike out time in time again with woman before he gave up as well on the dream of an old lady before he found his match later where he least expect her. It was a dark and lonely time for Sasuke, where he had seen very few lasting relationships and more frequently saw them burn out and die, so he gave up and followed Jiraiya's path of burying yourself in booze, pussy and weed.

When he went to Suna, he had been the same old lonely Prince of Konoha. Of course, as the VP of the maiden charter, women threw themselves at him and he drank it up. That was where he found Karin, a cute junkie who was pretty good in bed that hung around the Suna boys. It hadn't been a serious thing, just something to keep him entertained for the month or two that he was going to be there setting up this new charter and teaching them all the ropes. But she had assured him she was on the pill so he hadn't been too strict about using protection. Honestly, he shouldn't have been too surprised when she came to him as he was preparing to leave, preparing to return home to where he belonged, and told him that she was pregnant.

He had been so mad at her, this stupid insignificant junkie bitch who had entrapped him here. He had almost said fuck it and returned home without a care in the world about her and the baby, but he simply couldn't. That was his blood, his legacy that the stupid junkie was carrying. And he refused to just walk about him that, refused to be like his sperm-donor father who left him and his brother. People already compared him to that bastard enough; he didn't want follow in his footsteps even more. He decided then in there to carve a different path for Uchiha men.

So he phoned home and told them he was staying, heard an interesting earful from his mother, and then reluctantly gave up his VP patch so that he could transfer over to the newly established Suna charter as an ordinary, non-officer member. Karin had silly notions of their future together as a family, but Sasuke quickly set her straight to tell her that he didn't love at all and refused to marry her. He would stick around for his child (for his son because he never once thought that she would bare him a girl but rather his heir) but there would be no illusions of love or even that good of a friendship between them. Instead he immersed himself in the club, forming a very deep bond with the Sand siblings and actually getting patched in as an officer, Gaara's Sergeant-at-Arms and right hand man, in no time. Even more so, Sasuke found Temari to warm his bed at night while Karin was off at her own place growing his child. At that point, he was still hell bent on living the single life, refusing to settle down even as his child grew each day.

It's really no surprise that Karin started using again. She had thought that Sasuke was going to be her key to a good future. She had been an out of work stripper who hung around the Suna boys before they were even a MC and had been struggling to support her crank habit and had actually been doing some rather unsavory things to earn money. When Sasuke came in and expressed an interest in her, she had thought he was her saving grace. She had thought getting in good with the VP would earn her respect and get her money and someone to take care of her. She had seen his title and immediately started dreaming of herself as the future queen, of getting power and respect. And then she got pregnant and she thought she had cemented her place at his side. But he shooed her away, told her he didn't love her but wanted the child, and then jumped into bed with Temari, who was also dreaming of being the future queen. On more than one occasion the two women had words with one another, fighting over who had the right to be at his side, though Sasuke only heard about these discussions much later after the fact. Already unstable from Sasuke forcing her to sober up for the duration of the pregnancy, she began to use when Sasuke was patched in as Sergeant-at-Arms as he spent more time at the clubhouse-a place he didn't like Karin hanging out at because a few of the Suna boys had some drug connections and Sasuke felt it was too much temptation-and more time with Temari while she had been put on the backburner. Without his constant vigil, she started using again though she kept her drug use a secret for a little while. It was actually pretty easy since Sasuke had stopped checking in on her while he got busy with the club, busying himself with laying the groundwork for the Suna gun-running as well as helping Gaara and Kankuro start up a legitimate business, a strip club, to hide their activity. It was a long process of trying to make sure that the Mist boys could trust these new guys, establishing a good relationship before the Mist boys decided they trusted them enough to do their first run. But evidentially she took too much one day and Temari found her lying in Sasuke's empty bedroom with a puddle of her own blood pooling between her thighs.

It was Aiden that changed everything for him. He had been terrified of the task and responsibilities of fatherhood, especially with a sick baby. His son was born too early, lying in an incubator where he couldn't even hold his son and he was completely alone as Sasuke checked Karin into a rehab center as soon as she was released from the hospital and had her sign over all parental rights to him. He was scared, away from his family back home, a now single father balancing the responsibility of the club and that of a father of a sick baby. And when he got to hold his son for the first time, there was a magical moment in which he realized everything was different now. Suddenly he wasn't as afraid anymore. He knew his mother and family would help him, he would return home where he belonged so Aiden could grow up with his future cousins, and that he would start looking again. He owed it to his son to try to find someone. Aiden deserved a real family, one with a mother and a father. He deserved more than a single father who wanted to escape responsibility like an asshole by burying himself in pussy and booze every night.

And now he was home, with his son and surrounded by family. He had Sakura now, the beautiful woman who had agreed to stand by his side for him rather than his title and be the mother to his child and any other future children they may have. He was deeply in love in this whirlwind love, but they were happy and obviously meant to be. And now she lay across him, his crow that he designed so many years ago as a starry-eyed and naïve boy on her back. Everything had come full circle in a completely different way from how he would have imaged it but he couldn't be happier than he was at this moment, gazing down at her tattooed flesh while the sounds of their son's peaceful breathing filtered in ever so softly through the baby monitor beside their bed.

So Sasuke drifted to sleep slowly, unable to help himself as he slowly traced her softly skin under his fingertips. He was tracing the sides of soft mounds of flesh peeking out from their squashed positions as he fell asleep.

He didn't sleep long, however, because all too soon Sakura's alarm was going off. Sakura groaned, rolled over to stop the alarm and then grabbed her phone. Sasuke groaned and eyed her sleepily while she dialed a number and waited. "Hey Lani, how you doing?" she asked in a weary tone. She was quickly talking again. "Yeah, I probably sound like hell because I feel like it. Do you mind covering for me? I'm going to be a little late today. I should be able to pull it together around eleven or noon-ish. Could you cover for me? I have a pretty light work load today so it shouldn't be too much trouble . . . Really? Thank you so much. I owe you one," she said before he hung up and slumped back into bed.

Sasuke stared at her with a small smile on his face. "Those little fruity drinks were a bad idea after all, weren't they?"

Sakura only groaned into the pillow while Sasuke laughed and crawled closer to her. He pressed the coarse hair on his chin over her soft shoulder, careful to avoid her other shoulder with her still new tattoo. Pressed a gentle kiss on her skin, he traveled a little lower to press another kiss on her back. He did this for several moments, pressing gentle kisses over her exposed back and shoulders and relaxing her before he gently coaxed her onto her back. She looked up at him with soft loving eyes, a twinkle in her eyes. Sasuke smiled and leaned upwards to press a deep kiss to her lips before he broke away to press another to her jaw.

Sakura released a shuttered breath as Sasuke pressed sweet kisses over her neck, gently tipping her head back to give him more access. His hand snaked up to cup one of her breasts and Sakura felt her heart thud unevenly in her chest in response. She had forgotten that she had removed her clothes last night and had gone to bed more exposed than ever before. She raked a hand over his smooth back as his mouth worked lower and lower. His hand, she found, was also drifting lower as well as it released her breast and skimmed down to rest on her hip. His fingers toyed with the hem of her panties while his mouth moved to take her breast inside. She gasped and rolled her hips, a heat pooling rapidly between her thighs and just begging to be touched.

"Please, Sasuke," she whispered breathlessly, her hangover forgotten, while she moved her hands to her hips. She lifted her hips and pulled at her panties, pushing them down to her knees.

Sasuke released her breast from his mouth and looked down to her newly exposed core, chuckling under his breath. "Eager, are we?"

"Sasuke," she pleaded, grabbing his hand and pressing it flush against the apex between her thighs. He chuckled huskily and pressed his head back down, resuming his gentle kisses over her stomach and breast while his hand worked. His thumb quickly slipped between her folds, coating his digit with her juices before he slipped it forward. Gently, he teased the hooded nub at her apex, causing her to buck her hips involuntarily. She moaned and tried to press herself more firmly against his teasing fingers, but he always backed off just as she was starting to build momentum.

Sakura threw her head back and groaned in frustration as he backed off once again, intent on teasing her. She suddenly reached down and gripped his hand, trying to force him to apply more pressure. Sasuke chuckled once more before he pushed her hand away and finally decided to give her what she wanted.

Moving further down the bed and quickly pressed his face to her folds, listening to her moan in pleasure. His eyes darted up to watch her whither while his tongue entered her. Her head was thrown back, her eyes fluttering open and close as he wiggled his tongue and explored her. Her chest was heaving, her hands gripping the bed sheets and his hair desperately. Her hair was fanned out around her and her body was coated with sweat. There was a beautiful flush on her face, hers lips parted as she moaned and panted wantonly.

"Sasuke," she moaned his name and caused his own lower region to jerk while he pressed his thumb back to her clit for added stimulation.

She moaned louder and lifting her leg over his shoulder. She could feel herself breaking. She release was fast approaching and it was the most overwhelming feeling she had ever experienced. Yes, she was no stranger to sex, but she had never felt so out of control before. Everything about this felt so incredibly intense and just right that she didn't know she ever went without experiencing this before. He was driving her mad with lust and she felt something boiling inside her, some deep connection of love for this man who was driving her mad that just made this moment even more intense. She wouldn't last much longer and Sasuke must have been able to tell because he kicked it up a notch and finally threw her over the edge.

Her world shatter in a delicious series of pleasure filled jolts. She was suddenly on cloud nine, floating over the earth and completely untouchable. Her orgasm washed over in a huge rush, catching her off guard in its intensity. It took a long while for her to come down again from her high all the while with Sasuke's head still between her thighs as her body shook and gently cooled.

She felt boneless as she lay in her afterglow and Sasuke finally reappeared from between her legs. He slowly crawled upwards so that he hovered over her, catching her lips into a powerful slow kiss. His tongue was slowly pushing into her mouth and locking with hers when a stifled cry suddenly interrupted them. Sasuke pulled away slowly, looking at the baby monitor beside the bed and listening, hoping against hope that the boy would settle down and go back to sleep. But his hopes were quickly dashed as his son's stifled cries turned into full on cries and screams, no doubt a result of a messy diaper, empty stomach, or both.

Sasuke groaned and momentarily dropped his head down to rest against Sakura's forehead before he started to pull away. Sakura tried to claw him back in but she knew that it was a fruitless endeavor.

"The master of timing," Sasuke muttered sarcastically while he stood from the bed, dipped in quickly to press another kiss to her lips, and then quickly left the room, uncaring that he was only in his underwear. Sakura remained flopped on the bed, trying to gather herself.

Sasuke quickly went into the nursery and scooped up his son. Aiden did have a messy diaper which Sasuke quickly remedied and then he took the boy into the kitchen, moving past the living room where his brother was still nosily snoring away. Inwardly he was happy that his brother was still asleep as he hadn't really thought about the fact that his brother was on the other side of the wall when he started something that morning with Sakura. Last night he was worried about her drunkenly walking around the house practically naked while his brother was here but then this morning he very nosily pleasured her this morning without thought of his blonde haired brother. He was just lucky that Naruto slept like a log as Sakura wasn't quiet.

Sasuke sighed as he slowly fed his son, his mind going over the tasks of today. Because he had taken a day off of club business yesterday, he would have to devote a good amount of time today. He had a few errands to run today, things to do early before church. He had church of course, had to discuss what they are going to do about the Militia attack. Orochimaru is probably quaking in his boots right now but they really couldn't afford to start a full on war right now with the ATF psycho circling. It unnerved him that they hadn't heard anything else from the man since the folder he had left but at the same time he had no evidence that the guy hadn't left town either.

Aiden quickly ate his fill and Sasuke quickly scooped him up again as he made his way into the living room. He made his way over to his brother and nudged him awake with his foot. "Come on, we have shit to do today," he said to his brother ever to calmly as he made sure the blonde man was awake before he went back to the nursery, ignoring his brother's groans and protests. After settling his son down in his play pin he made his way into the bathroom, again leaving the door open.

He quickly emptied his bladder and made his way over to the sink, washing his hands and taking the moment to brush his teeth. He had taken a shower last night so he was still clean so after he rinsed out his mouth and opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the familiar orange prescription bottle for his heart. However, his heart sank into his gut when he didn't hear the familiar rattle of pills within the container. Hoping against hope that he was just missing something he opened the cap and peering inside, finding it empty.

He cursed under his breath and leaned heavily onto the porcelain bowl of the sink, head bowed low. He had been rushed out the door the other day that he had forgotten to take his heart meds that day and had a minor scare with his heart after the crash. Then yesterday he had simply forgotten to take them, he now dimly realized, because he had been too busy with the "honey do" list. And now, being a good boy and actually taking them after skipping two days in a row, he realizes he's out.

And unfortunately, he had already used all of his refills. He would have to go back and make another appointment to see his cardiologist and get a new prescription. However, each visit costs money and at present, its money Sasuke doesn't have. The insurance company will not pay for it and all his extra cash from the last gun deal went to Hinata's ring. Had he known how low he was on his meds he would have set some money aside but unfortunately he hadn't. He had been living paycheck to paycheck for some time now, barely making it by after all the hospital and other bills were paid off each month. Yes, gun running had its benefits as if he didn't have the extra cash coming in he wouldn't be able to float by evening legitimately at the auto shop and the porn business. The studio pulled in a decent amount, but the club was only in half way with Tenten and Ino and then their half was divided equally among all the boys. By the time everything was spread out, it wasn't enough to pay the bills and while the auto shop got good business for being the only shop in town it wasn't enough to pay everything either. The gun-running was a necessary part of his life. It got him the money he needed to pay off the hospital bills, but unfortunately it wasn't a lot. Like before, each sale is divided equally among the boys, and while it was good untaxed cash, it wasn't big money compared to his debts. The real money was in drugs, a fact that Orochimaru and his MC had realized a long time ago and was taking advantage of, having developed a good working relationship with Kabuto and his boys.

"God, I gotta piss so bad," Naruto's voice suddenly said from behind him and Sasuke jumped and quickly straightened his posture. He tried to act as casual as he could while his brother entered the bathroom and quickly whipped out his dick in front of the toilet. Sasuke didn't bat an eye, wordlessly putting the empty pill bottle back into its place in the medicine cabinet.

Internally he was panicking. Sasuke was a very larger than life kind of person and he had this reputation for being invincible. He was a strong person, built leanly but sturdily, a champion boxer at the club's friendly matches during parties, and a man who isn't afraid to get bloody. He liked this reputation he had built. People feared and respected him, something that was perfect for the VP and future President of the MC.

But the fact of the matter was that no matter how tough he acted, he hid just how weak he actually was. Like Aiden, he was born with a congenital heart defect called tetralogy of Fallot, which basically means he was born with four abnormalities of the heart. It's a rare defect but because his mother, his biological mother, had the defect he had an increased chance as well, and Sasuke had always been fairly unlucky. It wasn't very hard to diagnose when as an infant he turned a rather interesting shade of blue from low oxygen levels in his blood (Thankfully Aiden has gotten very few of these spells as they caused Sasuke to severally panic). As it was, Sasuke has already had two surgeries when he was younger to try and correct some of the abnormalities. The surgeries were successful and he was able to have a fairly normal childhood as a result and has obviously survived into adulthood. But with this kind of defect, Sasuke was required to have continued on-going care to ensure that he remained as healthy as possible. Over time he could face other complications, something his medication tries to ensure he doesn't have but there is only so much medication can do, especially when he gets lazy or too poor to pay for the medications.

Very few people actually know about his heart problems. All the boys know that he had a weak heart as a kid, but only his family and select others know that he still requires constant medications and regular checkups. Only very trusted people know the truth, the ones he would trust his life with, because it was dangerous for anyone else to know. If word got out that the Prince wasn't as indestructible as he appeared, their enemies could try to use it against him. So Sasuke has always been very careful about his health, careful to conceal it and work with a doctor who was a friend of the club and could be paid to only use paper records, safely locked away in his office, so that none of their enemies could hack into a computer system and get his medical records. But of course this meant his appointments were more costly than his other patients and at the moment Sasuke just couldn't swing it.

He would have to figure something out.

Naruto glanced over at him as he put the bottle away, eyeing his tense older brother. "How's the ticker?" he asked innocently.

Sasuke kept his best blank and calm expression on his face. "Same old, same old. No changes," he lied, his mind thinking back to the accident in which his heart had began to beat irregularly and too rapidly. If he was honest, he had been getting pretty lazy with his medications since Aiden was born, too stressed or busy to think about taking them. He had noticed minor changes, but nothing he had thought was worthy of any importance.

Naruto studied him for a moment, a moment that made Sasuke very worried that his brother would read him too easily. Naruto could be a bone head, but he and Sasuke were always very close and he was one of the few people to really understand and know Sasuke inside and out. But his worries were unwarranted as Naruto quickly accepted his words after a moment more and they eased easily into normal conversation.

Hinata was soon arriving at the house, greeting her fiancé warmly as Sasuke prepared Aiden for the day. Hinata was going to take Aiden today while he and the boys were busy all day with club business and while Sakura was at work. Once Aiden was ready and his bag was packed, Sasuke slipped into the bedroom to get dressed and say goodbye to Sakura. She was sitting up now, slowly easing herself out of bed. Sasuke was very tempted to crawl back in bed with her and finish what they started that morning but he knew he couldn't. Instead, he quickly dressed and pressed a quick kiss to her lips and ran off before he could change his mind. He quickly told her that he would be busy with club business all day and she told him that she would soon be getting into the shower and heading off to work after some coffee and she would see him later tonight.

Outside Sasuke helped Hinata get Aiden into the car seat in back of her small car and then mounted his bike next to Naruto. Next door he noted Mrs. Wong at her mailbox. She was an older woman who had made it no secret that she disliked having him as neighbor because of the near constant "noise pollution" coming from his house and his and the boys' motorcycles but she was too afraid to really do anything because of their power within the community. Sasuke waved and gave a smug little grin in her direction as he quickly revved his engine. She scowled at him and he merrily pull out of his driveway, speeding down the street and passing the neighbor's cars parked in the street, including a small white compact parked a few houses away from his.

Sasuke spent the next hour or so running around town doing various errands with his brother. He stopped at multiple shops and stores, checking in with the locals to see if they needed anything. The club liked to do with every so often, just to make sure that they have everything under control in their town. If a townsperson has a certain concern that is in their power to fix, they do what they can to help. And in return, the town helps them out as well when they need it.

However, as Sasuke was making his various stops he noticed something out of the ordinary. At first he hadn't thought anything of it when he noticed a sort of familiar white compact parked on the street when he exited the diner, a car he didn't think anyone in town owned from the best of his knowledge. And he hadn't thought anything of it when he noted the same compact parked outside the hardware store. He found it odd when he exited the local gym and spotted it parked a little ways away and he made sure to drive by it and found it empty. A few more stops and a few more sightings and Sasuke were sure it was following them. However, each time he exited a place and went by it he found it empty. Finally, when he exited the tattoo parlor after giving Konan a visit to check in on his Nomad President's old lady, he was pissed to find the car parked across the street.

Uncaring that he was in public on Main Street and ignoring his brother's calls after him, Sasuke matched across the street. The local flower shop had a rather large decorative rock out front and Sasuke had to pick up with both hands. Without hesitation he hefted it above his head and slammed it down, cracking the windshield and making the car's alarm scream in protest. He then easily hopped onto the hood and stomped his foot in the middle of the cracks so that his foot went through.

"What the hell!" Naruto shouted at him as he approached his seemingly psycho brother.

Sasuke just shrugged and then hopped off the car, coming to stand next to it. The large rock had fallen to the ground after he had thrown it so he grabbed it once more and threw it though the driver's window. The car's alarm was still wildly blaring and everyone on the street was staring. Sasuke surveyed the car for a moment before he marched back over to the flower shop, grabbed the large sign display that was advertizing a sale. The sign had a nice metal pole that Sasuke quickly gripped and started slamming it repeatedly into the car.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled in protest but Sasuke only stopped when he heard the familiar "whoop, whoop" of a police car siren.

Sasuke stopped and jammed the sign through one of the unbroken windows, spraying glass into the backseat. He then easily pivoted and gave the approaching cop car a shit eating grin. The cop car stopped next to the two bikers and the chief of police himself stepped out. Kakashi Hatake was a very good friend of the MC and was always watching their backs. They got away with a lot because Kakashi was always there to get them out of trouble. He was an older man, only a little younger than Minato and Tsunade.

"Do I want to know what the hell you are doing?" He asked Sasuke calmly.

Sasuke laughed. "Yeah, probably not," he said with a chuckle. He turned and fished his knife from its sheath at his belt and then quickly jabbed it into the front tire on the driver's side. "How's business?" Sasuke asked afterwards, as if he wasn't committing an act of vandalism in front of a cop.

Kakashi stared at him in disbelief. "Can you at least pretend that I'm a cop, sometimes?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Where is the fun in that? I've seen you drunk as fuck, seen you hang out with the boys at the clubhouse as if you were wearing a cut with us. You're my parent's closet friend and you watched me grow up. I'm not going to fucking treat you as a cop, even if that is your given profession."

Kakashi studied him for a moment before he sighed in defeat. "Can you at least not do this shit in public?" he asked in an exasperated tone.

Sasuke shrugged innocently. "Almost done," he muttered and then quickly slashed the rest of the tires before he put his knife away. They stood around for a moment more after that, bullshitting, before Kakashi quickly shooed them away, hoping to get them off the street and away from the temptation of more vandalism. Sasuke said his goodbye, giving Kakashi a tight hug and a handshake, before he swaggered calmly across the street, waved easily to nervous onlookers, and then mounted his bike.

"Let's see him follow us after that," he muttered and then fixed the bike onto his head. He then looked to a questioning blonde beside him and then revved his engine. Their next stop: the clubhouse for church.

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><p><strong>um . . . TaDa? review please?<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry, i suck, i know. Story is still alive and well, for those who were getting worried about my inactivity. I'm just busy. Started school again, so school four days a week and then work the other three. Not much time for writing.**

**This chapter was supposed to have more in it but i ended up writing too much and had to cut it off at some point. Don't expect an update right away, but I'll try to get it out as soon as possible.**

**Little to no editing done. Sorry. But enjoy**

**IMPORTANT EDIT!: I just got an anonymous review that was seriously confused about my use of the word "cut". After guessing that English is not my first language (Which, it actually is. My mistakes, however, are a result of me not proofreading and typing too fast, not a misconception of the actual language) and saying that it is a sloppy mistake that I should fix for that sake of my reputation as i writer, i felt the need to post this. This is not the first time i caused confusion as a result from my usage of the word. In fact, the author that is working on the french translation of this story felt the need to write up a glossary of the biker terms to help non-native speakers understand and cut was not that list of defined terms. No, i didn't mean to say "coat" this whole time and it's not a mistake that i'm just too incompetent or oblivious to fix . It was deliberate. I'm sorry if there is any confusion, that is not my intent. A CUT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE BIKER COMMUNITY AND THEY DO NOT CALL THE DENIM OR LEATHER VEST THEY WEAR A COAT. IT IS CALLED A CUT OR COLORS. I chose to say cut in this story but colors could be used also. I will be posting this note on the first chapter as well in an attempt to clear up confusion before the reading begins. I apologize to everyone who was confused at all by the lingo, just trying to make the story seem for real and true to what i know about the biker community. Thank you for listening.**

**Now you can enjoy.**

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><p>Chapter 17<p>

Old Friends

Sasuke sighed as he came in through the front door, his body aching from a long day. It had been a rather stressful week for him and the raven-haired male was definitely feeling the strain. That Monday morning after vandalizing the car, which he had noticed had stopped following him, he and the boys had spent hours in the chapel going back and forth on the Militia issue. The boys wanted blood but Sasuke wasn't the only one smart and rational enough to realize a war wasn't in their best interest at the moment. It had taken hours to finally get everyone calm enough to talk everything through rationally.

In the end they decided they needed to reach out to Orochimaru. The plan was that they were going to have a nice, peaceful sit down meeting with the fellow. Of course, they would call for blood, their own were hurt in an attack and there was no way getting around that. However, they weren't going to call for everyone's blood, only those that were involved in the attack. And, since the club had taken a pay cut a few years back when they lost a gun buyer and because they were getting tired of always watching their backs, they were going to offer Orochimaru a deal, guns for a the understanding that there is peace between them and they agree to stay out of Konoha. This deal would give the snake more incentive to give up his men to them. After all, what are the lives of an entire MC for only a few?

They sent out word to Orochimaru that they wanted to have this sit down, sending word though the grapevine, and had just heard back from him. He agreed and set the date for early Saturday morning. Of course they wouldn't be going in without a trick up their sleeves, just in case, so they had reached out to the Suna charter and another closer charter. The first charter had only taken a few hours to arrive at their front door while the Suna charter had taken three days. Thankfully the clubhouse was huge and they had enough spare dorm rooms to house both charters comfortably, though the Konoha boys wouldn't be able to crash at the clubhouse like they often did if they got too drunk to make it home. Both charters would be coming with them to the sit down.

Having another charter camping out was quite a handful because once the boys got together all they wanted to do was party. Every night since the first charter had arrived had been a huge party at the clubhouse and, as the VP, part of Sasuke's job was to keep them all entertained and treated hospitality. One charter was a handful enough, but the Suna charter had arrived tonight and there were now twice as many brothers to entertain. Tonight Sasuke had been roped into a boxing tournament, and as the VP of the maiden charter, he couldn't stop until he had beaten everyone who challenged him in order to make his father/president proud. He had done it, but it was getting harder towards the end when he was already tired and his heart had started beating weirdly. He had been forced to take a break, making the excuse that he needed a beer when he actually just wanted to calm down so his heart would stop beating so fast. He had been all too aware of his heart palpitations after days of no medications.

He hadn't really noticed many changes since he stopped his medications, except after boxing so far. Still, he worried. His last check up had been with some quack doctor in Suna, a guy who Sasuke wasn't completely convinced was a legitimate cardiologists but he was the only one he could find quickly and secretly in the area that was willing not to use electronic records for a price. He had given him the meds he needed and given him an exam but he had mentioned that he had noted that his pulmonary valve, which the blood flows through from his right ventricle to the pulmonary artery, was narrowed. This narrowing causes the heart to work harder to pump blood through the valve. He had suggested seeing his usual doctor as soon as possible because he was more familiar with Sasuke's case and was unsure about what was normal for Sasuke and what wasn't. But that had been before Aiden was born, before Sasuke got too stressed and lazy to think about his own health, and Sasuke simply never got around to it. Now he was out of medications and we was worried that his condition would worsen, though at the moment he couldn't really do anything about it since he had just spent another chunk of change he didn't have for Aiden's monthly appointment yesterday. Aiden was healthy but the cash from the next gun deal would go to paying off the bill thus meaning Sasuke's heart would have to wait.

Not to mention that Sakura's brother was coming in tomorrow to spend the weekend with them. He had told his sister he would arrive at noon on Friday, tomorrow, and that he wanted to meet the new boyfriend. Of course, Sasuke was kind of nervous. Obviously Sakura was a great woman, and if he was honest, deserved more than an ex-con mechanic with a GED (since he dropped out of high school to focus on prospecting). Not only was he going to have to prove himself to be sort of good enough to Sakura' overprotective brother, he was going to have to do it while balancing all of the visiting boys and the sit down meeting.

The plan for the weekend was busy. Friday Sasuke had to work in the morning at the shop and catch up on some of the work he had been delegating because he was stressed to some of the other young mechanics who had a habit of fucking things up. Then he was meeting Sakura back at the house to meet the brother. As it turned out, the routine "family" dinner fell on Friday and since there was a surplus of patched members around, Tsunade was throwing a very large dinner at the clubhouse that night versus the same gatherings she had for the Konoha boys at her house. Sasuke had suggested he and Sakura skip out and have a nice quiet dinner at home but Sakura had said no. She knew his responsibly to the club and knew that skipping out wouldn't look good. Plus, she had added, she wanted to see Gaara and Kankuro again. She sort of missed them. Of course, they couldn't leave Ren behind so the brother would be going with them, facing three charters of this crazy MC all at once. Saturday morning was the sit down and then that night was the charity dinner. Sunday the charters would be leaving so Sasuke would be needed there until he successfully saw everyone gone.

The Cutlass was in the driveway when he pulled up and Sakura had texted him when she had gotten off work so he knew she was probably already in bed. She had been working fairly late all week, having only gotten the time to stop at the clubhouse yesterday. She hadn't stayed for long because she wanted to get home to Aiden, but she had shown up to show her face to the visiting charter. They all seemed to be curious about her, as it wasn't everyday that their VP got an old lady. They wanted to see what kind of woman had proven herself worthy enough for their VP and to see what kind of woman would be at the side of their future leader. She had gotten off work at nine that night and had gone straight to the clubhouse where she met all the boys. More than one brother had approached Sasuke later after she left to tell him that they were impressed, and mildly jealous. Sasuke had only smirked and tried not to act too smug as his chest brimmed with so much pride and joy that he felt as if he could burst.

He waved the Prospect, who was waiting outside smoking, off before he entered the house quietly, noting that the only light in the house was the dim flickering light coming from the living room, probably the TV judging by the quiet hum of noise drifting towards him. He moved slowly into the house, spotting his old lady right away. She was still in her scrubs, her hair pulled up in a messy bun and only one sock on her feet, which were hanging off the edge of the couch she was sprawled out on. She was out cold, looking a little worse for wear after what he assumed was a long day at work. He noticed the baby monitor clutched loosely in her hand and smiled softly.

He crept forward and gently wedged his arms under her and pulled her into his arms, marveling at how small she was in his arms. She stirred slightly in his grasp, muttering something about how she still had fifteen more minutes before she had to wake up for the scheduled cesarean section, before she nuzzled her face into his chest. Sasuke chuckled softly before he carried her into the bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. He took the time to gently strip her of her scrub pants, knowing she hated to sleep in pants of any sort and preferred shorts or simply her panties instead. She didn't stir and Sasuke quickly draped a sheet over her before he exited the bedroom.

He checked on Aiden quickly, stopping to gently place his hand on his son's stomach to feel him breathe for a few moments before he exited. He checked all the doors and windows quickly, making sure they were locked, before he turned off the TV in the living room and made his way back into the bedroom. Stripping quickly, he crawled into bed with his old lady, moving in right behind him so that he was spooning her.

He awoke what seemed like mere minutes later when his alarm was going off. He groaned, not believing for a second that he had slept a few hours and this was some sort of mistake, but was proven wrong when the clock declared that it was six in the morning. He groaned again and silenced the alarm as Sakura began to stir as well.

"Why does that shop have to open so early?" he questioned sluggishly more to himself than anything while Sakura stretched and then rolled back over to go back to bed since she didn't have to work today.

"Well, you're a co-owner, maybe you should change the opening time," she suggested halfheartedly as she snuggled into the pillow as Sasuke started to get up.

Sasuke snorted and rubbed at his eyes sleepily. "Yeah, try to get that past my mother and get back to me on that," he remarked. Even though his biological father's share of the business was passed down to him and Itachi, his mother still called the shots for the most part. She ran the business part of it while he, his father and brother handled the actual work part of it (their father still hasn't passed down any share to Naruto because he doesn't feel he is responsible enough yet). And she was an early riser and someone who firmly believed in hard work as well as getting as much done in a day as you could. There was no way she was going to adjust the business hours just because her son wanted to sleep in. That's what his days off were for, she would say, never mind the fact that he usually had to wake up early for church on his days off.

Sasuke showered and dressed quickly, stopping only to give Sakura a kiss before he walked out the door. Sakura laid in bed, listening to the silence of the house and hearing the now familiar roar of his motorcycle start up and then fade into the distance. Sakura mentally smiled, knowing that Sasuke's elderly neighbor was probably woken up by the noise. The woman hated him enough as it is but Sasuke was always coming and going on his bike so there was always a chorus of engine grumblings loudly announcing his presence, not to mention all the other boys coming and going as well.

She drifted in and out of sleep for nearly an hour, grateful for the sleep after a long week of work and back-to-back surgeries, before Aiden woke up. She busied herself the next few hours with taking care of Aiden and cleaning the house. Still, as the clock slowly drew closer to noon Sakura started to get more anxious. She kept looking out the front window, waiting for her brother's familiar car to pull into view.

She was excited to see him after so long, but nervous as well. She knew her brother well enough to know he was going to have a lot to say about Sasuke. At first glance, she knew what Sasuke looks like- a rough, no-good, irresponsible biker. Ren would no doubt jump to conclusion before he actually gave him a chance, but Sakura was prepared for her over-protective brother. She just needed to get him to give Sasuke a chance so that he could see just how great he was.

Sasuke's house was immaculate by the time Sakura glanced out the front window and saw her brother's car in her driveway across the street. With Aiden in her arms and supporting him gently since he was starting to get more control over his own head now, she quickly went to the front door. She spotted Ren standing on her front porch, knocking and looking in through the front window to try and see if she was inside or not.

"Ren, over here!" she called, waving at him as he turned around. He stared at her in question for a moment, glancing back at her house behind him before he faced her once more as if he to double check if he had the right house. He slowly started towards her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he mounted the single step to Sasuke's small porch.

"Well, I'm babysitting, sort of," she said quickly, unsure of how to tell her brother that she had basically moved into her boyfriend's house without officially moving in. While she had all of her clothes and person necessities, all of her things still were at her house. The house and everything inside was Sasuke's, but Sakura had been adding little things gradually of her own personal touches though she had yet to officially move in. Belatedly she realized she should probably talk to Sasuke about this. After all, she was his old lady now, in a committed relationship and basically the mother to his child.

"Who's this?" he asked after he greeted his sister with a one handed hug because her other arm was taken by Aiden. He looked down at the cute baby and gave a big goofy smile, unable to help himself with babies.

"This is the notorious Aiden that I am not dating," Sakura remarked as she guided her brother into the house. He greeted Aiden in a baby voice and a tickle to his stomach, which resulted in a giggle, before he looked around the house. Sakura was suddenly very happy that she had cleaned and added a few more homey touches over the week, such as some candles on the tables, some throw pillows on the couch that Sasuke declared were the best inventions on earth after he came home drunk from the clubhouse the first night the first charter came in and he had face planted into them. She hadn't made big changes, but with Sasuke's permission, she added some little things around the house that would make it look less like a bachelor pad with random baby toys lying around. Sasuke seemed to understand that while Sakura loved him and his house, it wasn't a very woman friendly environment, and let her have her fun.

"He's cute. Do you watch him often?" he asked her and Sakura nodded.

"Yeah. His dad is a single father who runs a few businesses and has a lot of commitments. I take him when I'm not busy or at work," she answered simply, finding it close enough to the truth before she admitted the full truth.

Ren quickly accepted that and together they sat down on the couch and caught up while they played with Aiden. They stuck to safe topics, both not wanting to fight right off the bat after not seeing one another for a while. It seemed like no time had passed at all though when Sakura heard a familiar rumble. Ren heard it too but thought nothing of it while Sakura mentally prepared herself for the moment Sasuke would walk through the door.

The door handle jiggled and soon swung open, followed by a sigh and a curse as Sasuke's keys hit the floor. Sakura stood up with Aiden in her arms and made her way to the door. Sasuke slowly was picking up the fallen keys, looking tired. "You look like hell," she commented as she approached him, mildly aware that her brother was following her.

Sasuke only sighed. "Long, shit day," he muttered simply, his hands still darkened by grease that hadn't been removed by simply wiping his hands. It was a familiar sight to her now as Sasuke usually come home covered in one oil or another, smelling like the garage, leather, tobacco, sometimes alcohol, soap, and a musky something that was uniquely Sasuke that Sakura had found herself loving more and more as the days past. The strange mix of smells comforted her now, making her feel safe and contented as she breathed it in as he walks in the door, picks her up from work, or embraces her as she drifts to sleep. Sakura smiled sweetly as the same sense of comfort and safety swept over her and stepped forward to press a kiss to his lips. It was quick and chaste, but it seemed to make him feel better right away.

"Hey," he greeted sweetly afterwards, a hand hovering over the small of her back.

"Hi," she greeted back before Sasuke turned his attention to his son. He greeted him as well and pressed a kiss to his son's head.

Ren cleared his throat behind them and they both turned to look at him. Sasuke studied him, taking in the similar features he shared with his sister and the similar eyes. He, thankfully, didn't have the pink hair but instead of dark shade of red. He was taller than his sister too, but shorter than Sasuke at an average height. He had an average build, not skinny or too well fed. His body language, however, told Sasuke right away that he was not what he expected for his sister and he was none to happy about him at first glace. Sasuke felt a weight sink into his stomach, knowing exactly what he looked like in his grease stained hands, unkempt hair, unshaven face, his baggy jeans and loose fitted mechanics shirt under his cut. The cut alone was something that earned him more weary glances by strangers than ones of respect or awe. Coupled with his tired, rough and almost thug like clothes, he was sure he was making a grand impression on the seemingly straight laced man in front of him.

Sasuke put on his best small smile despite the weight in his stomach and reached out a hand to shake. "Hey, I'm Sasuke. Sakura has told me a lot of about you," he introduced as kindly as he could.

Ren met his hand in an almost too firm of a shake, as if he was trying to be threatening. Had Sasuke been a lesser man, he might have been slightly intimidated but after everything Sasuke had seen and done this man was physically nothing in the scheme of things. However, this man definitely held an intangible power over Sasuke because he was the older brother of his old lady, a man whom he wanted to be on his good side and prove his worth to.

"Ren," he said simply, staring at him with a guarded expression.

Sasuke hesitantly glanced at Sakura who was glaring at her brother before he released his hand and nodded. "Well, I'm glad that you came down," he said as the three of them made their way into the living room. Sasuke took this moment to remove his cut as well, folding it carefully and setting it aside. Maybe that would make Ren ease up a bit, not having his cut blatantly declaring what kind of man he was to the suspicious man.

Conversation was awkward and stilted as Sakura tried to coax her brother out. But the man had closed himself off, watching Sasuke carefully who was feeling a little more than awkward. This was not going well at all, he realized, as the other man would not give an inch. Everything about him was guarded and Sasuke could practically see the red alerts going off for the man. He was studying him intensely, his eyes suspicious and almost angry. He was sizing Sasuke up, testing him without really giving him a chance and Sasuke had a feeling he was not coming out on top.

"How'd you meet?" Ren asked after a moment and Sakura looked relieved that her brother was putting forth an effort.

Sakura smiled easily, hiding any discomfort she felt at her brother's obvious suspicious and overprotective nature. "A party at the lot of the auto shop. Sasuke and his family own the auto shop in town and they have parties every once and awhile and I went with an acquaintance in town. Sasuke saved me from a really drink guy and gave me a ride home since we live right next to one another."

"She's Aiden's doctor as well. My son was born ten weeks premature in Suna and Sakura took on his case when I moved back home," Sasuke offered up to the conversation.

Ren simply grunted in response, not sounding pleased but not displeased either. An awkward silence filled the air and Sasuke glanced quickly at Sakura who looked to him apologetically. The silence, however, allowed for the three to clearly hear the rumble of a motorcycle approaching and then the engine cutting off after a moment. Sasuke made no move to go to the door, only sighing softly as they waited. A few moments more of silence and there was a harsh pounding on the door; it was quick, impatient and almost threatening in its intensity.

"I'm not home," Sasuke called softly, half-heartedly.

There was a beat of silence before the door slammed open roughly, hitting the wall behind it with a loud bang. Sasuke jumped up in surprise and stepped defensively in front of Sakura who clutched Aiden to her chest in a protective manner. Sakura felt a surge of panic as a man was suddenly in front of them, taking a quick glance around the room before he charged forward. Sakura tried to scream but it all happened so quickly she didn't even get more than a choked noise out of her throat before the man was on top of Sasuke.

"What the hell?" Sasuke yelled out as the man bent at the waist, jammed his shoulder into Sasuke's gut and effortlessly heaved him up into the air and tossed his over his shoulder. It was only then did Sakura realize just how big this man was. Sasuke was tall and lean, an intimidating man. Naruto and Minato were both taller and built much stronger so that Sakura had seen Naruto once lift Sasuke almost effortlessly when they were roughhousing on the lot. This man, however, was even bigger than Naruto, about six four or six and built like a brick wall. The man easily pivoted with Sasuke thrown over his shoulder and was disappearing out the door as quickly as he came.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled after him and then quickly but gently pushed Aiden into her brother's arms. As soon as she was sure the boy was secured she rushed after them, moving through the door that had been left open carelessly. She glanced around the street, seeing two bikes parked out front and immediately knowing which one was Sasuke's and which one was this stranger's. However, she didn't see the two men anywhere until she heard Sasuke yelling to her side and she followed the voice to see their neighbor's gate opened wide.

"Don't you fucking dare, you stupid son o' bitch!" she heard and she quickly ran into the old woman's backyard, only dimly aware of her brother following behind her as her heart raced and her panic soared. Who was this man and what was he doing? Was he part of the Militia that ran Sasuke and his brothers off the road? Was he going to hurt him? Should she call Naruto or Minato? Should she go fetch the extra gun she knew Sasuke kept in the bedroom? Could she even use a gun?

Sakura zeroed in on the pair quickly, spotting them at the old woman's pool. She had seen her grandchildren play in it on weekends when the weather was warm, little boys who always stared in awe at Sasuke while the old woman scowled. Now the mystery man was standing at the edge of the pool, smiling evilly while Sasuke squirmed uselessly.

"No! Put me down now!" Sasuke yelled.

"If you say so, baby boy," the man said whilst laughing. A moment more and Sasuke was plunging beneath the waters surface while the man let out an even louder belly laugh. Sasuke resurfaced while Sakura stood at a distance, confused and her heart still pounding but somehow not feeling the same sense of danger as she did moments before. Sasuke coughed and gasped as he resurfaced but glared at the laughing man as he swam easily over to the side of the pool.

"You are so fucking lucky I wasn't wearing my cut, you fucking asshole," Sasuke remarked as he pulled himself over the side of the pool and onto solid ground. He looked like a drowned rat with his already baggy clothes weighed down by the excessive water. He shook out his raven hair, flinging water all over the stranger who laughed and backed up.

Sasuke eyed the man for a moment as he tried to gather himself again. His heart was pounding erratically and it felt as if it was beating out of his chest. His breathing was coming out in harsh pants as well and Sasuke was mildly annoyed that a simple scare had put him in such a state. He rested his hand over his heart for a moment in a fruitless effort to calm it before he realized what he was doing and quickly pulled it away. Not wanting to alert anyone to the worrisome state of his heart at the moment, Sasuke acted quickly to try and pull himself together and give off his usual calm, cocky manner. He grinned mischievously and extended his arms out towards the larger man. "Now give me a hug, you son o' bitch," Sasuke smirked.

"No way, baby boy," he laughed easily before affectionately patting Sasuke on the head, ruffling his wet locks. Sasuke made no move to hug him or attack him, but he smiled and reached out his hand to shake with the stranger.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called after him and the two men looked at her. He took in her wild appearance, her chest heaving slightly and her bright emerald eyes shining at him in confusion and concern. Instantly he wanted to put her at ease so he forced a bright smile on his face and he gestured for the man to follow him as they approached her.

"Sakura, this is Kisame, an very close friend of mine. Kisame, this is Sakura, my old lady," he introduced.

Kisame turned quickly to face his old friend with wide, disbelieving eyes. "You got yourself an old lady? I never thought I would see the day," he remarked before he turned to examine Sakura. Sakura felt mildly intimidated by the large man as he studied her intensely, as if she was this grand puzzle that he was tasked to figure out. "Well, I'll be damned, she's beautiful," he remarked and Sakura founded herself mildly flattered but mostly embarrassed by the assessment.

Sakura took this time to really examine the man. Now, as everything had calmed down and he wasn't moving around so quickly, Sakura could see that he was wearing a cut; an Akatsuki cut under closer examination. He wore no officer patch, but he did wear a 'UNHOLY ONE' patch like Sasuke. Also, she noticed, he wore a 'NOMAD' in the same place that Sasuke had his 'MC ORIGINAL' patch. He was a big man, all muscle like in her first examination. He was a fairly handsome man, not overly and naturally handsome in a god-way like Sasuke, but a regular sort of handsome with good features and looked be older than Sasuke like in his late thirties. He had a pair of intense of pale, wild looking eyes and an almost evilly scary smile on his pale face. He was no doubt an intimidating man, one Sakura would avoid in any other situation, but Sasuke seemed comfortable enough with him so Sakura put some faith in him.

"Yeah, and she has a personality to match too. She's the whole package, way too good for me but for some reason she seems to like me," Sasuke teased as he stepped closer to her and reached for her.

For a moment she almost stepped easily into his arms, wanting the comfort of his arms around her to assure her that he is safe after the scare she had gotten. But then she remembered that he was socking wet and she reacted instinctively, swatting at his extended hand.

"Nope. I'll hit you so hard if you even think about getting me all wet," she said quickly, glaring at him and giving him a look that said she really would do it and he knew it. She wasn't afraid to manhandle him or to yell at him, and she wasn't about to start now.

Sasuke and Kisame laughed loudly at the same time, and Kisame slapped Sasuke's back affectionately. "She looks like a wild one. I like her already," he exclaimed loudly.

Sasuke laughed once before he shook his head, sending more water flying into the air. "Can we take this back inside? I want to get out of these wet clothes and I doubt my neighbor will be happy to find out I took a swim in her pool. She hates me enough already as it is without trespassing."

Kisame nodded and then started back towards the front of the house. He didn't seem to falter for a moment when he spotted Ren standing at the gate with Aiden. In fact, he didn't even seem to notice her brother and instead quickly pulled Aiden into his arms. He pulled him up close to his face, cooing and very gently teasing the boy. It was a strange sight, Sakura couldn't help but notice, as he was such a large, tough looking man and here he was cooing over a baby who loved the attention.

He turned easily and smiled broadly at Sasuke. "He's so big now. Last time I was saw him was when he was just born and so tiny. He was still in the toaster then. Now look at him. He's so big and he looks so healthy. He's gonna be wearing a cut in no time," he laughed while cooing once more.

"He's not a year old yet, I'll worry about that when he turns twenty one," Sasuke laughed while very nonchalantly taking Sakura's hand in his. Sakura welcomed the comforting hand in hers. After her little scare, she needed to touch him and know that he was safe. Unfortunately, she couldn't really hug him or kiss him until he dried off, so this would have to do in the mean time. Sasuke seemed to understand this without her having to say a thing, and together they made their way into the house once more.

"Hey, he could be like you and simply refuse to wait. You were still a baby when you prospected and then patched in," Kisame reminded as he very nonchalantly walked into the kitchen. He seemed familiar with the house, like he had been there many times before.

"I wasn't that young," Sasuke protested as he closed the front door and then muttered that he was going to go get changed. He released Sakura's hand after a quick kiss to her fingers and then swaggered down the hall. Sakura watched him, amazed that he still looked confident and sexy even as his clothes weighed him down like a drowned rat.

"You were to," Kisame yelled from the kitchen and he playfully rocked Aiden in his arms and the boy giggled incessantly, "You were seventeen years old. I remember; I sponsored your dumb ass."

"Sponsor?" Sakura asked as she joined Kisame in the kitchen. Behind her Ren quietly made his way into the room as well, standing back and observing. Sakura wasn't paying attention to him though, focusing on the older man in front of her. He was really good with Aiden, she noted, and she felt satisfied that he was in good hands. Like everyone else, Aiden seemed to instantly warm your heart and draw you in. Kisame was no different and was not immune to the boy's natural charm.

Kisame looked to her and nodded, a mischievous smile breaking out on his face. "You're new, aren't you?" he questioned but didn't give her a chance to answer.

"When you want to patch into a club, it isn't as easy as simply showing up and saying you want to prospect. You first have to hang around the club, let the patched members get a feel for you. Once you have earned their trust you can let your interest be known. If you can somehow convince a member that you could be a good asset to them, they can sponsor you. Basically the sponsor vouches for you and then the members have to vote whether or not to let you prospect. If it works out in your favor, you prospect and basically become the bitch for the club, more so for your sponsor, the president and the VP than anyone else in the club. After you serve your time as prospect the club can vote you in and you become a patched member. We don't let anyone under the age of twenty-one prospect, except Sasuke that is. He was a persistent fucker and he wouldn't leave me alone. So I took a risk and sponsored our baby boy and he patched in on his eighteenth birthday."

Sasuke rejoined them in the kitchen then, dressed in another pair of baggy jeans and a black and white flannel shirt, carefully hiding his tattoos from sight. He knew he was already coming off as a thug or something to Ren, Kisame's theatrically entrance not helping him in the least as far as first impressions go, but as least he could try to hide some things, like his tattoos, to try and come off better than he actually is.

"How's your mama?" Sasuke asked as he easily leaned against the counter.

Kisame smiled brightly and then gestured for Sakura to come over. He started speaking while he passed Aiden into Sakura's arms. "She's in remission now. Doctor says that they got the last of it. She's gonna have to have regular check ups, but she's in the clear for now."

Sasuke smiled and stepped forward to hug the man. "That's fantastic news. She get all the care packages we sent?"

"Yeah, and she's extremely grateful for the help. She knew you had a part of it when she saw those damn muffins in every package. She loves those. She wants you to come down soon to see her. She wants to thank you and finally meet the little man," he said easily and then quickly sobered up. He was very oddly serious all of a sudden, something Sakura had never seen like so far. "She also said that you didn't have to send all that money, we would have figured out a way to pay for her treatments," he said seriously to Sasuke.

Sasuke shook his head and waved off his comment with a flick of the wrist. "It was no big deal, Kisame, the least I could do. You know I love you and your mother. I only wish I could have continued to send the payments but you have to understand that Aiden's care broke the bank after my income was cut when I moved to Suna. Suna only just recently have the pipeline we use, established after I returned home. My income during the time was the strip joint, divided equally among all the boys. I could barely afford to feed myself during that time."

Kisame shook his head, reached out to clasp his large hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "You did more than enough, more than anyone else did. I'm extremely grateful for that. But I'm going to pay you back every dime."

Sasuke shook his head. "Naw, you're Nomad, you don't have the club income. Don't worry about it."

Kisame looked Sasuke seriously in the eyes, gripping both of his shoulders now. "I'm paying you back. I've been thinking about transferring back now that my mama is in the clear. I can start earning again and pay you back in monthly installments. Either way, I'm going to pay you back," he said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Sasuke eyed his friend closely before he relented and sighed, nodding his head slowly. It was a matter of pride for Kisame, that much he knew. Kisame had been forced to take the money Sasuke had sent him, back when he was still earning in Konoha before his move. Had he have any other choice, Kisame would have sent the money right back. But the bills had been piling up because his mama didn't have insurance. But now his mama was in the clear and Kisame wasn't going to simply let it go now. His pride wouldn't let him.

And as much as he didn't want to admit it, Sasuke couldn't deny that the money could help him too. Sasuke needed the cash now. He wasn't stupid enough to think Naruto was going to start paying him back right away but he knew Kisame was more likely to stick to his word. Sure, he wouldn't get anything for at least a month, but if Kisame were determined to pay him back then he would see some cash within the next month. And although it might not a lot, it would at least be something. Maybe a month or two more with the extra cash from Kisame and Sasuke might be able to scape up enough to go pay his doctor a visit. He just had to hold out for a little while more.

"What's nomad?" Sakura asked after a moment, causing both patched members to look at her. It was Sasuke who explained.

"Nomad is just a charter of the club. They are members who aren't attached to any one city. They still have the same responsibilities, same ranks, but they travel from one city or another for their church meetings which are less frequent than a base charter will be."

Kisame nodded and then went to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He popped the top with his teeth, spitting the bottle cap into the sink. He took a long pull from the bottle and then looked to her. "I used to be an MC Original too but I transferred. My mom lives about a day and a half from here and when the doctors found cancer I wanted to go down and take care of her. It was too far to commute all the time while staying here in Konoha so I transferred to Nomad. Gives you a bit more freedom as far as responsibilities go, but it's lonelier. Its why I'm gonna transfer back, I miss my family," he said before taking another long swig of his beer.

Sakura smiled, understanding immediately what he was taking about. The club was one big family and she had just been welcomed in and already she felt so much better. She felt connected, powerful, safe and loved. The other day she went to the grocery store with Aiden. She had been wearing one of Sasuke's old Akatsuki shirts that Tsunade had given her that the older woman had found in storage from when Sasuke was still a teenager. As soon as an older gentleman saw her shirt he let her move ahead of him in line at the register. When he exited the shop she had run into Choiji, who escorted her home and then carried her bags inside. Naruto was often around, treating her like a sister. When she goes on her lunch break at the hospital a few of the boys have stopped by to say hello and see how she was. It was clear that the boys all love her. She could understand that it could be lonely without the family nearby to look out for you.

Kisame then glanced over and seemed to realize that Ren was in the room. He gestured with the beer bottle, leaning casually against the fridge. "I don't know you," he stated plainly, his guard instantly up.

Sasuke seemed to start. "Oh yeah, sorry. Ren, this is Kisame. Kisame, this is Ren, Sakura's older brother. He's in town visiting for the weekend," he introduced.

Kisame nodded but made no move to step over and shake his hand. He looked him over and frowned. "He club friendly?" he asked Sasuke without looking away from the man standing quietly on the other side of the room.

Sasuke seemed to falter for a moment. "Uh, he's good. He's gonna meet the boys and everyone tonight. There is a club dinner tonight."

"You think any of the boys are gonna give him any problems? He looks a little . . . up tight," Kisame stated, still not looking away from her brother. Sakura was reminded again that Kisame was a very intimidating man. Her brother was staring back blankly, but she knew him well enough that he wasn't happy about Kisame staring at him like he was. Ren was very tense right now, his whole body screaming his displeasure.

Sasuke walked over and swatted Kisame in the gut, forcing him to look at him. "Cool it. He's with me and none of the boys are gonna give him any problem when I tell them that. My word has a lot of power, after all," he said seriously and then gave Ren an easy smile that went unanswered. He held the smile for a moment more before he let it drop and he quickly changed the subject.

"Why don't we head out to the clubhouse? Ma has been cooking all day, getting ready for the dinner tonight. She'll want me near to entertain all the other boys and keep them out of the kitchen and out of her way."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, and I should go help her out. She's basically feeding an army tonight. Plus, I gotta show my face as well," she stated with a smile. She was the old lady to the VP now; she had to keep up appearances now. Tsunade had already made it clear that she still had a lot to learn before Sasuke takes over and the only way to learn is to stick close to the queen and let her "wisdom" rub off on her.

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that, darlin'," Sasuke said while giving his signature grin. He swooped in and pressed his lips to hers, grinning into the kiss.

They pulled apart and got Aiden ready for the trip. Sasuke made sure to keep Kisame near him, never leaving him alone with Ren. He loved Kisame. Kisame was his mentor and then one of his best friends. They served time together and watched each other's back. Sasuke was barely patched in a two months before he got locked up. He served a year alone constantly watching his back before Kisame wound up locked up for five years. You get close to your brothers when you serve time; you learn to trust them with your life because prison isn't a pretty place, especially when you are part of an MC like the Akatsuki who has a lot of friends but a lot of enemies as well. But as much as he loved Kisame, he also knew that he was a dangerous man. He wouldn't do anything to Ren physically, but Kisame was a brash kind of guy. He talked a big game because he could back it up and so he did, often. He liked to run his mouth at times, didn't seem to have a filter most times and he wasn't above getting into your head. Most of the time it was for Kisame's own amusement and he never meant any harm, but Sasuke was already fucking up this first impression thing. He didn't need Kisame to start playing his games and fucking thing up even more.

After Aiden was all set, they exited the house together once Sasuke pulled his cut back on. Sakura guided her brother over to the Cutlass. Ren whistled at the muscle car, unable to stop himself from voicing his appreciation of the classic car.

"Nice car," he murmured, looking at it in awe. "Looks like its in wonderful condition," he stated.

Sakura glanced at her brother quickly and then looked back at the car. She knew it was a very nice car, but she wasn't a car expert. All she knew was that it was a classic car that Sasuke owned and it ran well. Anything else was a mystery to her.

She paused, however, when she spotted a large manila envelope sitting on the windshield of the car. Her heart sank, instantly reminded that no matter how safe she felt under the club's wing, her ex was still out there. She glanced fearfully at Sasuke, who hadn't noticed the envelope yet. He was instantly alert though as soon as he saw her panicked look and he was at her side in an instant, passing Aiden into her arms and reached behind him into the waistband of his jeans where he know doubt had a gun resting. Sakura weakly gestured to the envelope before he could voice his concern and Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the sight of the envelope. He quickly went over to the car and swiped the envelope as casually as he could. He folded it quickly and shoved it in the inner pocket of his cut, turning to Ren and acted as casual as he could.

"It was a mess when I got my hands on it. The former owner smashed it to hell when he left the bar one night and sold it for scrap because he didn't have the cash to fix it thanks to that drinking habit of his. I'm a good friend with Jerry, the junkyard owner, and he sold me the car for cheap. Took me a year to fix and restore everything, from the engine, body, and upholstery," he told her brother, running his hand over the hood momentarily before he grinned.

"She still purrs like a kitten," he said with a smile and then put a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder when she approached him. Ren nodded his head and went back to admiring the car.

Sasuke used this time to stroke her cheek. "Don't worry about it," he whispered to her before he kissed her gently. "I'll take care of you," he said as soon as they pulled apart.

She nodded. "I know," she whispered before she took a calming breath. She needed to reign in her emotions as to not clue in her brother about her panic. She didn't want him to worry about her. As far as he was concerned, the whole stalker ex thing was over and done with after her restraining order and her relocation. This move was good for her. It brought her protection where she otherwise would have been defenseless against him. It brought her a good job and a new family. It brought her Sasuke and Aiden. She was happy for once in her life. She just needed her brother to see this and that wasn't going to happen if she saw her start panicking.

"Good girl," Sasuke murmured and then kissed her once more when he noted her calm expression. "I love you," he whispered against her lips but then broke away when Kisame let out a catcall. He gave the man the finger and then glanced to Ren who was watching the sense in displeasure.

He quickly gave Sakura a comforting smile and then helped her get Aiden all strapped in. As soon as the boy was good he went over to his Harley and mounted it alongside Kisame who was waiting for them. They waited until Sakura was all set before they pulled out ahead of them, leading the way back towards the garage.

"Does he let you drive his car often?" Ren asked his sister while she focused on the road. She glanced quickly at him before returning her gaze to the road. He was staring out the windshield seriously, almost glaring at the Reaper on Sasuke's back.

"Yeah, he actually gave me the car when the Beetle died on me. He's getting a truck soon and he really didn't need two cars and his bike," she stated and she kept her gaze on the road even though she felt her brother turn to look at her.

"He just gave you his car, for nothing?" he asked, his tone suspicious.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. I needed a car and he was going to have an extra one soon," she stated simply, refusing to look at him. She didn't want to see the look her brother was giving her.

"With your income, you could buy your own car fairly easily," Ren commented and Sakura shook her head.

"My income isn't any of your concern and that's not even the point. We don't need three cars and a Harley," she fired back and instantly regretted it when her brother's face twisted at her word choice.

"We?" he asked incredulously and Sakura chose not to answer him.

There was a long pause and then Ren spoke again. "Sakura, what the hell are you doing?"

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Don't start, Ren. You don't know him. The moment he stepped through the door you went into overprotective brother mode and refused to give him an inch. You never even gave him a chance because in your twisted little mind he's not good enough for me because of the cut he wears and the work he does. He's the pick of the litter here and the best man I have ever had the privilege to know. I couldn't have gotten any luckier that he took notice of me."

They were pulling into the lot now and Sakura noticed the great number of bikes that were parked. Already the lot was filled with big and scary men alike, walking around and hanging out, all with Akatsuki cuts on their backs. The last time Sakura was on the lot, she had seen the boys from the Konoha charter as well as the Tanzaku charter. Now the Suna charter had joined them. From what Sasuke had told her, the Tanzaku boys were the nearest charter to the maiden charter, their backup if they ever need some reinforcements on short notice. They ran a small casino in the Tanzuku Quarters, their legit business to hide the less than legit club business. The Suna charter owned a strip joint as their legit business while the Konoha charter had their porn studio and auto shop.

Sasuke and Kisame zoomed ahead to maneuver their bikes into the row of Harleys while Sakura took her time moving over to the spot the boys held for her, right next to Tsunade's car. She parked and then wrenched the door open. As gently but as quickly as she could, she pulled the carrier from the cars seat and then closed the door. Ren was already out of the car, coming over to stand next to her. She stepped closer to her brother and glared at him.

"He takes care of me, and I've never been happier than how I am with him. And I love you, you are my brother and I appreciate all that you have done for me. But you need to back off. If you can't give him a chance to show just how great he is or how great the life we built here is than we don't have anything to discuss here. You should just go home," she stated with an edge to her voice.

It hurt her to speak to her brother this way, but she needed him to either back off and give Sasuke a chance or go away. He didn't know how good Sasuke was for her. He didn't know anything about the complicated world that she now lived in with Sasuke at her side. She was terried of her ex, still was especially after said ex was still watching her. She had fooled herself into thinking she was safe but the envelope served as a reminder that he was still lurking, still watching her even if he couldn't get close with her bodyguards always near. But she trusted Sasuke; trust that he would take care of her even if it means her life was different now. Now matter how much more complicated her life was now, it was better than it ever had been before. She belonged here and if her brother can't even see past some leather than she didn't want to talk to him.

"I'm going inside the clubhouse to help the other old ladies. Why don't you stay on the lot with the boys? I'm sure you can take care of yourself. Just don't step on anyone's toes and go to Sasuke if you happen to piss anyone off with your close-mindedness. He'll take care of you," she muttered before she stomped away with Aiden and the diaper bag. She went straight to the clubhouse, ignoring the way Sasuke was staring at her in confusion.

She stopped momentarily at the clubhouse door because Minato and Kiba were just coming out as she reached for the door. They smiled at her in greeting and Minato gave her a big hug. He kissed her cheek gently, smiling at her. "What's wrong with you, baby girl?" he questioned and she shrugged.

"Brother is in town and he's being an idiot. I'm fine though. Is Tsunade inside?" she asked, changing the subject.

Minato nodded and stepped out of the doorway, clearing the way for her. "She's in the kitchen with the girls. She's on a war path so have fun," he said and then pat her on the shoulder.

Sakura shrugged. "Maybe Aiden will help her feel better. I'll go take over in the kitchen and she can take a break to bond with her grandson."

"Good idea, she needs a moment to cool down," Minato said with a laugh and but then paused before he went out onto the lot, "You know, if you need help with that brother of yours we can help. You're family, baby. If you need us to beat someone up we will in a heart beat," he said, starting off serious and then the last part of his statement coming off more as a joke though Sakura didn't doubt that these boys would hesitate to scuffle for her.

She smiled sweetly, giving him her best smile, and stepped closer to him. "I appreciate that. I've never really had a large family, complete family like this so it really means a lot to hear you say that," she said seriously, "I can handle my brother, but I'll keep you updated in case I need you," she joked.

He nodded and gave her another hug. "I've always wanted a son and a daughter. Instead, I got three boys, which, lets be honest, are still a handful. And now I will soon have two daughter-in-laws. I look forward to the day that I have three daughters," he told her before he released her from the comforting embrace. He looked down to Aiden still sitting in the carrier she carried somewhat awkwardly at her side. "Hell, I would like to have a house full of grandchildren to spoil relentlessly."

Kiba chose this moment to speak up, having been forgotten by the other two. He leaned towards both of them, theatrically whispering as if someone would hear them even though no one close enough to hear at the moment. "I bet you and Sasuke will be the next to reproduce. Naruto's too much of an idiot to get his act together and be a father and Itachi is taking his sweet old time despite Tsunade's urgings. Plus, Sasuke already shown that he can't wrap it up."

Sakura stared at him blankly for a moment. "Don't count your chickens just yet," she said before she shifted the carrier in her hand. "I'm going to go try and tame the beast in there."

"Good luck," they wished. Minato reached out and gently gripped her elbow, giving it a comforting squeeze before he released her and then the two of them turned away to make their way out to the lot.

Sakura entered the clubhouse and looked around, noticing some familiar faces and more unrecognizable ones. Although she had already been in there a few times, the clubhouse was still fairly new to her. It was an eclectic sort of place, with everything from baseball bats, stuffed and mounted deer heads, alcohol brand and old Harley memorabilia, and Akatsuki decorations. The Reaper was everywhere within the place, at the bar, by the pool table or by the couches. The bar always was fully stocked from what she could see and there was a lot of framed photos of club members, decorative Reapers, crows, quotes about anarchy, rebellion, and Harleys. The thing that really struck Sakura was the wall of framed photos of each member. Above all the photos was a sign that said, "Akatsuki MC Original". Below were the framed photos of each picture, their mug shots from their various arrests. Sasuke's picture was towards the bottom row, a familiar photo to Sakura since she first saw it when her ex gave her his wrap sheet.

People were milling around, some at the bar having drinks, some at the pool table and others just hanging out. There was a heavenly smell coming from the kitchen and Sakura could see the girls were in the kitchen through the big window in the wall that separated the kitchen from the main room. The kitchen doors were closed and the blinds on the door were drawn. Sakura went straight to the door and was forced to knock when she realized the door was locked. The blinds shifted and Sakura recognized Hinata's makeup clad pale eye peaking through the crack created. The blinds quickly were snapped back in place and she heard the lock turning.

Hinata gave her a relieved smile as she welcomed her into the kitchen quickly with a hug. "Thank god you are here," she whispered.

"Shut that damn door," Tsunade snapped from by the stove, waving a spatula in the air.

Hinata jumped to listen to the older woman, releasing her friend from the hug to quickly close the door behind her. Sakura took it in stride, however, and only smiled at her maybe future mother-in-law. "Hard day?" she asked innocently and Tsunade glared at her.

Sakura quickly looked around the room while she set Aiden the carrier down at the table within the small kitchen. While small, Tsunade had pestered her husband and the boys about updating it so it was very modern. Tsunade was at the stove that was built into the countertop, her stance tense and with a death grip on the spatula. Ino was at the counter beside her, putting together what looked like some sort of casserole while Tenten was at the oven, peaking in at whatever was inside. Hinata was moving back over to a small space at the counter where she looked to be putting together six different pies with different fillings. Sayuki looked more than a little uncomfortable stirring the contents of a crockpot, glancing back at her uneasily.

"These men are driving me nuts. Every time I try to make something I have a different man in here trying to steal it. Like I don't have enough on my plate today with making all this damn food and organizing this dinner for three full charters of bottomless pits, they made it their mission to fuck with me!"

Sakura giggled to herself quietly, having known that Tsunade was going to be like this today. She had grown to know the woman well enough to anticipate her mood when she had something big going on. From her own knowledge and Sasuke's pervious warnings, she knew Tsunade was going to be in a mood today, stressed by the amount of work to be done, in a short time, and with some many people around in her space. Now it was a time for damage control because it seemed the other old ladies in the room were cowering.

She made her way over to the stove very nonchalantly but cautiously. She gently nudged the older woman who glared at her but Sakura tried not to be effected by it. "Why don't you go greet Aiden? He misses his grandma, been getting fussy without his daily dose of spoiling," she teased gently.

Tsunade stared at her suspiciously for a moment and Sakura very carefully reached for the spatula in her hand. "Go, I got this. Take a little break, cuddle with you grandson for a few minutes and then you can take over again and I promise you'll feel better. Nothing is ever as bad after his cute little smile," she assured.

Tsunade seemed to consider her for a moment before she nodded slowly. "Fine, but I'm going to be right there. Don't mess anything up," she barked before she roughly handed the cooking utensil over.

"I'll try not to," Sakura muttered as Tsunade made her way over to the table. Like magic, as soon as the boy was out of the carrier and in her arms she did start to feel better. She sat herself down at the table, cooing over her grandson for several minutes before she glanced up to check to see if the pinkette doctor had burning the kitchen down yet. She was pleasantly surprised at what she found.

Sakura seemed to have quickly taken stock of the other old ladies and their progress before she quickly stepped into the leadership role. The girl obviously knew her way around a kitchen, finishing off the food Tsunade had started fairly easily and then quickly moving on to start other things. Tsunade watched her worked, watched how the girl was able to multitask, get the other old ladies to help her with this and that, find a place for everything, and basically take control of the kitchen.

Silently Tsunade sat back and decided to take a longer break than she had intended. Sakura obviously had things under control and it gave Tsunade time to coddle her grandson some more. She was in fact feeling better now, having her grandson in her arms, but also because she was realizing there was hope in the future. This girl was still new and almost grossly unaccustomed to their ways, but she proving more and more to have potential. At first glance, Tsunade was sure this girl was hopeless. But now she was seeing that with a little more grooming, she could actually take over one day and be the queen Sasuke would need her to be.

Yes, she was feeling better indeed.

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><p><strong>Chapter was supposed to have the whole dinner in it but that didn't happen. Sorry. <strong>

**Anyways, tell me what you think and hopefully you'll hear from me soon.**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm terrible, i know. But i'm alive. I made the decision to take three psyc classes this semester, which seemed like a good idea at the time because i'm a psyc major, but i know realize that it could be very time consuming. Good news, semester is over so here is the chapter. Sorry if i feels rushed, and that it's shorter than other chapters, but i'm rushing to get this out before work.**

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><p>Chapter 18<p>

Good Gracious

For Ren, being a big brother was a difficult job. There was no denying that Sakura was a beautiful girl. All though high school, as soon as she hit puberty and started to take shape, the boys started to come around. In fact, he had even had to forcibly put his own friends in their places, letting them know that his little sister was explicitly off limits. As the man of the house, it was his job to make sure that the women in his life were taken care of. His mother wasn't so hard to handle. She was sort of scatterbrained, but she usually had things down. Sakura, however, was always a different story.

Sakura, while brilliant and obviously meant for great things, was never too smart about her personal life. She definitely had a type, the covert jerk. At first glance, you thought, hey, maybe she had a winner here. But then time passes and little things turned into big things. The high school quarterback, for example, was a good guy at first glance. He turned out to be an obvious future alcoholic. The frat guy in college quickly was revealed to be a loser who was going nowhere in life expect maybe leach off his baby sister. And then the cop, of the wonderful ATF agent, he had been the worst of them all.

Watching his little sister go through that was the hardest thing he had ever been through. It was obvious that she was scared, and really she had a reason to be. He had hit her and she had run only to find that he wasn't so willing to simply let her go. More than anything Ren had wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp, but the guy was untouchable. He was a big shot ATF agent. If Ren even got close enough raise a fist then he was threatening and/or attacking a federal agent, something that would not have gone so well for him. It had taken going to several different precincts to get his little sister the restraining order and even then Sakura hadn't felt safe. She had taken the first job opportunity out of the city that she could, winding up in the middle of nowhere where her talent would be wasted on such a small town.

Ren had never felt so helpless as he did then.

But then he thought that things were finally looking up for her. He talked to her regularly and she talked to their mother practically every day. She had sounded happy, happier than he had heard her in a long while. And he was happy for her. Extremely happy for her. Right up until he found out she had found another guy. Instantly he had known that it was going to be just another mess, the covert jerk there to mess up the good thing she had going on.

Which was why he was really surprised when this Sasuke fellow walked through the door and he realized that instead of getting a covert jerk she went for the overt jerk this time. Everything about this guy screamed trouble. He obviously didn't care much for looking put together with his ill-fitted clothes, stupid leather vest, unkempt hair, facial hair no doubt a result of laziness, and grease covered hands. And he was obviously a part of some sort of gang, with that leather vest for some club or something. He had tried to be polite to him and make a good impression but Ren wasn't going to be fooled.

His friend, that insanely tall, beastly man, was worse. Just so much worse than Sasuke. This guy didn't even go through the effort of trying to be polite. He was loud and brash and standoffish with him. He looked at him as if he was a rat hiding away in your house, a disgusting vermin that was a making a nuisance of his life. Sakura seemed completely at ease with him after they had gotten in the house, and the man regarded her with a much higher respect, for which Ren was the least bit grateful, but still he didn't feel at ease around them and about the situation.

As soon as they got to the "compound", Ren realized the situation was so much worse than he thought. He and Sakura had fought, a familiar thing when it came to Ren's opinions about her relationships. But the argument didn't quite sit right with him for some more reason than the obvious. Somehow this felt different, which scared him more than he was willing to admit. Sakura had never gotten so defensive, never had that fire in her eyes when he voiced his opinions. She was in deep this time and it was in a very bad situation in his opinion but she wasn't going to give up so easy.

Sakura had disappeared into a large building some time ago on the opposite side of the lot and had left him with all the misguided souls her new boyfriend liked to hang out with. They were a rowdy bunch, all with the same stupid leather vests on their backs of three different cities mingling together. Ren stood back and watched them all. A few men had approached him, a very annoying large blonde man whom seemed close to Sasuke in particular. He offered him a beer, which Ren took and tried to talk to him but Ren was less than willing. Eventually the blonde man got the clue and wandered off, taking what seemed to be his spot beside Sasuke.

Ren mostly watched Sasuke. He never stayed in one place for too long, floating around the lot and speaking to all the different vest-wearing miscreants. He stood tall in front of all of them, his head tilted back in a cocky, superior air. After only watching him for a little while did Ren realize that this man was highly respected by everyone he talked to. Everything about the body language of everyone he talked to screamed of his power and influence. The men instantly stood up straighter, squared their shoulders and tried to look as big and powerful as they can when he was in their presence. Even if the conversation looked very calm and very friendly, these men always had their best foot forward. They respected him and wanting to appear a certain way in his presence. Ren had long since noticed that Sasuke wore a patch on the front of his vest that said 'VICE PRESIDENT' but he had also seen other men of different cities with 'PRESIDENT' and 'VICE PRESIDENT' patches regard him with a certain level of high respect as well. It was obvious Sasuke was very high up in the chain of command.

Another thing he noted was that Sasuke seemed to have shadows with him at all times. That blonde man that had approached him earlier was never far from him. Sasuke seemed to regard him with a certain level of respect as well, though Ren hadn't seen any extra patch that denoted him as someone with a higher title like Sasuke had. The blonde man was much more brash than Sasuke, and louder as he could often hear him laughing from all the way across the lot. But everything about the two men screamed of a very close relationship though. In addition to the blonde man the other brash man from Sasuke's house, the nomad, was a second shadow. He, like the blonde man, had a very in-your-face presence. But his air was much more threatening. He looked like a predator or even a hungry lioness that was hovering over his lion cubs, like he was ready at any moment to strike down any threat. And if he was the lioness, Sasuke was the lion cub.

And if Sasuke was high up in command, there was only one of higher power than him, Ren guessed from what he observed. There was an older blonde man, who looked very much like the blonde man whom shadowed Sasuke that Ren guessed they were father and son, that seemed to possess an equal or higher power as Sasuke. He had a shadow as well, a rapid, wily looking brunette man with a 'SGT-at- ARMS' patch on his chest. Though Ren couldn't get a good look, he guessed that the older blonde man was the President of this "club". Ren remembered that he had seen the older man very affectionately speaking to Sakura when they first arrived and it left the older brother in a confused and unsure state.

It was getting late when Ren finally spotted Sakura again. There was a long row of tables pushed together to form one long table by the entrance to the building Sakura had disappeared into when they first arrived. After some time the door to the building opened and a few women started to trickle out carrying dishes and containers of food. Plates and glasses had already been set out so the woman started putting the food in the center of the table. There was a tall blonde older woman who stood next to Sakura and the two seemed to be the ones to be directing and organizing the table. While the women made several trips in and out of the building to bring more and more food out, Sakura and this woman stayed outside and fended off the men who had started to come over at the sight and smell of the food.

Soon everyone had drifted over and the women seemed to have brought everything out. People were starting to take their places at the table. The older blonde man, Ren noticed, was sitting at the head of the table while the blonde older woman went to his side instantly. Sasuke was already drifting over to the seat directly to the left of the man, the corner seat. Sakura seemed to take her place next to him without thought. Ren also took notice at all the boys with the city 'KOHONA' patch sat together by the head of the table followed by the President and VP of the Suna boys and then the Tanzaku boys at the end of the table.

"Yo, Ren, over here," Ren suddenly heard and noticed the blonde man waving over to him by the head of the table. He gestured to the seat next between him and the older blonde woman. It was the one directly across from Sakura, who looked at him guardedly as he took his seat. She was holding Sasuke's baby in her arms, he noted. The blonde man pat him on his shoulder once before he bent forward to kiss the cheek of a dark haired woman on his other side.

After everyone was settled the blonde man at the head of the table stood up and Sasuke quickly followed his example. The blonde man regarded him with a small smile and then looked down the table at all the men who were now deathly silent as soon as the two men stood up.

"Welcome," the man started with a small wave of his hand, "and thank you all for coming. Your time is impeccable, landing on our routine family dinners. Of course it's usually a smaller affair in my own home but I think it would be impossible to fit you all in my home. And son's house is even smaller than mine," he said, gesturing to Sasuke quickly. This surprised Ren as he suddenly studied the two standing males but even then he couldn't see the family resemblance.

"Of course," he started again after the small chuckles died down. "I couldn't simply exclude you from our dinner. You are just as much family as my own boys, my own charter. You all deserve a place at this table as tribute to our brotherhood."

He glanced to Sasuke who nodded and he picked up his glass to hold loosely in his hand. When Sasuke spoke his voice was loud and clear, a very strong voice of a powerful leader. "My father and I thank you for coming on such short notice and showing your support. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us, with very important matters that need to be dealt with that will finally be put to rest. Your presence and your support will go a long way and we are all so very grateful. As my father said, we are all family, no matter the distance between each charter. In your time of need, we will bend over backwards to come to your side just as you would do the same for us," he paused for a moment to look over the table.

He had every single person's attention on him, waiting with bated breathed for his next words. Ren looked around quickly, seeing the power this man held over all these people. They truly looked up to him, truly studied and believed that there was something in him that was worth their time. He looked back at this man, this seriously troublesome man, whom had managed to steal his sister's favor and frowned to himself. This man was trouble, he knew. There was more to this man than met the eye, he could tell now, but Ren wasn't sure what that was. He also didn't know if it was a good thing or a disastrous thing.

Sasuke chuckled to himself before he shook his head. Something in his manner changed, more open. His stance relaxed and he gave a small shrug accompanied with a small smirk. "Time and time again we will tell you that you are our family. But that might as well just be meaningless words and promises to an outsider. No one can truly understand the bond we all share until they are a part of it. They don't see or realize that even with the distance between us, the miles and miles we have to travel between cities, it doesn't matter to us. We would go to hell and back if we were called upon. We would go to war and destroy everything in our path if it meant we could take care of our own. We wear the Reaper on our backs for a reason; a testimony to the devotion we have to one another, the lengths we would go to. You are more to me than just brother in arms, you are my blood brothers and I am honored to wear this patch."

He raised his glass into the air. "I raise my glass to all my brothers at this table," he stated while raising his glass. There was a shuffle as everyone moved to raise his or her own.

"To my brothers," he called and suddenly there were yells from all around and the sounds of glasses clinking together. Ren listened to the rebel yells, watching as some men starting chugging their drinks while other were clanking glasses. Some were even rhythmically pounding their fists on the table. Sasuke stood at the head of the table and clanked his glass with his father before the two knocked back their drinks as if they were shots.

"Now, its time to eat this delicious meal our women prepared," Minato said while resting his hand on the blonde woman's shoulder. He and Sasuke sat back down and hands were reaching into the center of the table from all directions, clawing at one another to get the best piece of chicken or steak, etc. Since Sakura's hands were full with the baby, Ren watched as Sasuke prepared two plates for them.

Dinner progressed uneventfully. The men at the table were loud and raunchy. Yells and shouts were passed easily, conversations from one of the table to another shouted as if they were right there next to one another. Laughs and jokes were exchanged, everyone in good spirits from the good food and company. Ren sat quietly by, observing everyone and most importantly his sister and her new man.

It took him a moment, but Ren did notice that Sakura was highly respected by this group. They treated her kindly while still maintaining their own rough-necked humor. Sakura seemed to expect this and ran with the punches, teasing them just as much as they teased her. There was a sense of brother-sister type teasing between her and the men of Konoha, as if they had spent time with her and treated her like their own. This knowledge was both comforting and discomforting in its own right. On the one hand, it meant that he could be thankful by the fact that she was being treated well by these hooligans. However, it also meant that they had all spent enough time together to be comfortable enough with each other to get to this sense of camaraderie, a fact that did not please Ren all. After all, this was is beautiful smart baby sister with so much potential who was wasting her time with roughians.

Still, Ren kept his mouth shut, silently observing the people around him as they laughed and joked all the way through dinner and long after the food had been consumed or covered. It must have been at least an hour or two after the dinner had started that Sasuke had stood up and announced that he had to use the restroom (though not nearly phrased as politely). Ren stood with him, partly for the completely selfish reason of trying to get this guy alone and partly because he too needed to empty his bladder.

"All come with you. I need the restroom too," he said and only got as far as a few steps away from his chair before a man was suddenly blocking his path.

"Not so fast, cager. The clubhouse is off limits to you. Use the garage bathroom," the older man with the strange red tattoos on his face said in a vaguely threatening tone whilst pointing to building in the back of the lot.

"Kiba, really?" Sakura fired back quickly, glaring at the roguish man suddenly in Ren's face.

The man ignored her and only stared down Ren, as if he was daring him to do something. Neither man had a chance to do anything before Sasuke was stepping in, coming forward and gently putting himself between the two men. The raven-haired male's body language showed no hint of unfriendliness, only a sense of calm.

"Already, Kiba, knock it off," he muttered in a tone that sought to calm ruffled feathers.

However, they didn't have a calming effect on Kiba, the exact opposite in fact. He turned to glare at Sasuke, stepping closer in an aggressive manner and looking too fired up for what the situation called for. "You have got to be fucking kidding me, right? This guy isn't one of us-" he started before Sasuke interrupted him.

Everything about Sasuke seemed to change in an instant, going from relaxed and peace-keeping to aggressive and defensive almost in a heartbeat. It was almost as if a flip had been switched and he was in a completely different mode now. Ren glanced around then, noting just how quickly everyone had hushed up and was watching intently as this battle of wills suddenly went down. Everyone seemed to be watching Sasuke in particular, waiting on bated breath to see what he would do now.

Sasuke stepped up into Kiba's face until they were mere inches away from one another. He spoke clearly and calmly, his voice cool but laced with strength and a sense of venom that stung harsher and harsher with each word.

"You seem to forget just who exactly you are talking to. You may think you are big and bad, someone important after you have scraped, begged and kissed ass to get where you are today. But you forget that you are still below me, still weaker and less influential than me. All that time you have devoted to kissing my father's ass while hindering me will only get you so far. My father has already started to pass on the torch to me and you are very quickly going to lose your seat as right hand. Do you really think you can take me on?"

Kiba glared at the younger man in front him before he glanced around the table quickly. Both Naruto and Kisame were standing as well, flanking their Prince and ready to jump in if need be. Minato was still sitting at the head of the table, watching the display with almost a sense of indifference. Everyone else was watching, waiting to see how it played out but with just one look around Kiba knew he had already lost the battle. It was clear that Sasuke had already picked those who would be beside him in his new regime, already picked his VP and his protector. And a look around at Minato's indifference and Sasuke's powerful stance with his two beta wolves standing at his flanks told the older man of Sasuke's power.

He had been oblivious for a long time, savoring the power that came with being the right hand man of the president. He hadn't been paying attention, too wrapped up in himself and his power to realize that the tides were turning. Of course he had known that Minato was grooming his son to succeed him, he had been doing so from the day that Sasuke stitched that VP patch on his cut at such a young age. But the tattoo faced man had been blind to see the recent wheels turning until this moment, too blind to see that Sasuke had already began taking more power until it was too late and he had already burned his bridges. Sasuke would take over soon, way sooner than Kiba ever expected, and he would not be picking Kiba to be anywhere close to him in power. Kiba would be demoted and he could see that Sasuke already made up his mind about his officers and closed ranks and the damage was already done. Kiba was standing face to face with the man who, in the not too distant future, would be his president, his king, and he knew that even if the damage was done and he wasn't going to be an officer, it was at least in his best interest to back down.

Kiba stepped back slowly, keeping his mouth shut and clearly admitting defeat. Sasuke tilted his head up slightly in an arrogant manner.

"That's what I thought," he said smugly, "My word is rule so sit down, shut up, mind your fucking business, and do as I say," Sasuke said harshly.

Kiba scowled at him but did as he was told, moving back to his chair. "Yes, sir," he snarled as he slinked back to the table in defeat.

Sasuke watched and waited until Kiba was sitting and clearly done tossing his weight around before he looked at Ren, who was staring at him in confusion and mild shock. Sasuke mentally berated Kiba for starting this in the first place and forcing Sasuke's hand. Kiba had gotten an over inflated sense of worth that needed to be knocked down a few pegs for a while now, but Sasuke hadn't wanted to do it now. He hadn't wanted to do it in front of all of their brothers, in front of two visiting charters, and more importantly, in front of Sakura's brother whom he was trying to make a good impression with. Verbally abusing and smacking down one of his boys was not something he had wanted Ren to see him do. He didn't want Ren to think him dangerous like he knew he was, with all his power and influence, but he couldn't let Kiba slide either with all the boys watching.

"Come on, I'll show you to the bathroom in my suite," Sasuke muttered at last and began to lead the red haired male into the clubhouse.

As soon as Ren entered the building he was silently scanning and examining the entire space. Sasuke was acutely aware of the mess the boys had left everything in, where duffle bags and other random assortment of personal items had been left out. The ashtrays were overflowing and beer and liquor bottles seemed to linger on every surface after the large party the night before that no one had bothered to clean up. As far as great impressions, the clubhouse wasn't helping anything and he cursed out loud when he noticed the hall of fame wall had captured Ren's attention.

"Nice mug shot," Ren muttered as he examined his mug shot and those of his brothers. Sasuke grimaced, not feeling the usual sense of pride he felt when he saw his picture among those of his brothers.

"My apartment suite is this way," he said instead, hoping to divert the man's attention.

Ren's gaze seemed to linger for a moment more before he reluctantly followed Sasuke's lead down the narrow hall branching off the main room. The hallway was in better shape than the rest of the clubhouse, no lingering garbage and only the decorated walls. Ren observed each picture or artwork that lined the walls. Sasuke walked slowly, letting Ren take in the pictures that told the story of this club better than some raunchy jokes over dinner. The walls were lined with a hodgepodge of different patched members, some from the early years of the club and there had only been one charter to the more branched, widespread club they were today. There were pictures of him as a child perched on his mother's hip while the boys of the club barbequed in full colors and handed out burgers and hotdogs at local fundraiser. Pictures of them at bike shows and of them at graduations. Pictures of Sasuke as he and his brothers grew up, among the boys who shaped them into who they were today- into the good men they were today despite their sometimes tough exteriors.

"It's back this way," Sasuke muttered quietly as they turned the corner slowly. Right at the end of the hallway, where the hallway turned, a bike was on display in an open display case built into the wall. The bike was old fashioned, a 1949 Panhead that had seen better days but still gleamed in its own way, a bright blue color. Sasuke ran his hands over the seat as he passed, a habit that he did religiously. Ren eyed him and the bike as they passed.

"That's my dad's bike," he said to break the silence and put himself at ease. "It was his cruising, special occasion bike, not his every day bike that he uses today. He found it in a junkyard and poured himself into it until it was better than new, back when the auto shop was still getting up on its feet. It was on this bike that I rode on for the first time, when I was ten and the bike Dad rode off on with my Ma after their wedding. I can still see that stupid veil flapping in the wind under Ma's helmet to this day," Sasuke said proudly and smiling fondly at the memories, walking backwards ever so slowly so that he could look at the bike.

"My dad laid it down when I was about fourteen. Completely wrecked it and put himself in the hospital for a good while. My brothers Naruto, Itachi, and I put it back together while he was in the hospital to surprise when he got out and to distract us from the fact that the man we thought was invincible was nearly as indestructible as he made himself out to be. We spent weeks in that garage, sleeping in shifts so that one of us was also working on it, and skipping school altogether. Dad ended up helping us finish it after he got out of the hospital. Understandably, Dad didn't want to ride it afterwards but it's still a part of him and our family and he couldn't see himself selling it. So when we remodeled the clubhouse to expand it later that year, Dad had the display built in. It's been here ever since. We have the prospect come in every week and polish until it gleams. A bike like this deserves nothing less."

Ren stared at him blankly for a moment; the two long since having abandoned any pretense of walking away and were now standing by the display. He eyed the bike quickly before he looked back at Sasuke. "You are really having some sort of moment here over a bike," he said in a wondering tone. It was a tone that obviously said that Ren didn't see what was so wonderful about the bike, a tone that said he didn't understand Sasuke.

Despite himself, Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle once. "It's just a bike to you, but to me this bike represents so much more. It represents the happiness of my childhood, represents the moment I knew I was meant to be on a bike for the rest of my life. I look at this bike and I see my parents wedding day, and I see special trips to the clubhouse or through the countryside, such me and my dad. I see the time we all spent together, just me and my dad and my brothers, rebuilding it when our lives came so close to falling apart at the seams. This bike is like happiness and hope to me," Sasuke said with a small smile.

Sasuke stepped forward and let his hand linger on the handlebar. He was quiet for a long moment, trying to gather all of his thoughts. Ren was silent the whole time, alternating between looking at Sasuke as if he was some sort of puzzle and looking at the bike like some sort of deeper meaning behind the blue paint would sudden pop out at him if he stared long enough.

Sasuke let his gaze wonder to more of the pictures lining the wall, letting each memory and each story come to mind behind the laughing, smiling faces in front of him. He eyed the familiar and unfamiliar faces of different members, some who have come and gone in his life while others served their time with the maiden charter and those close to its heart before they too moved on before Sasuke could ever meet them. This was Minato's and the boy's legacy, Sasuke knew, what he would control and add to when his time came. It was a very daunting task if Sasuke thought too much about it, but it was something he had always wanted, even back when he was too young to even understand what it truly meant.

"You don't like me," Sasuke said at last and Ren's gaze snapped up to him, staring at him blankly. "I get it," Sasuke continued, "I'm not the man you thought your sister would ever end up with, nor whom she deserved to be with."

Ren said nothing, only stared at him and Sasuke took this as a sign to continue. "I know what you see when you look at me. You see a no good mechanic with a young baby and no mother in sight. You see a man in a gang with his hooligan family and you're right, that is who I am. I don't deserve your sister and I never truly will. Hell, I doubt anyone will, she's sort of amazing in ways that sometimes doubt is truly humanly possible."

"Is this the part where you tell me that you love my sister and that you're going to work to deserve her. Because I've heard it all before and she always ends up getting hurt in the end," Ren said blandly, giving him a bored look as if he truly had heard similar speeches.

Sasuke faltered for a moment before he shook his head. "Nah, I don't exactly know where I was going with this but that wasn't where it. I won't lie to you and make you promises that I know I can't keep. With who I am and the life I live, I can't pretend that I'm going to change, because I'm not."

Ren gave him a look that part confusion and part disbelief. "Are you trying to make me like you because I can tell you right now that this conversation we are having isn't helping your cause."

Sasuke sighed, suddenly exhausted by the whole thing. "No, I'm not trying to make you like me. I was at the beginning, but I realize now that you aren't going to like me. I mean, look at me, I'm not the guy you bring home to the family and no matter how I try to present myself, that's not gonna change. I'm still the tattooed, single father who is the future leader of a very far-reaching motorcycle club. I can't possible see how I can spin this to make you see anything else than just exactly that."

Ren snorted humorlessly. "Well, at least you're honest."

Sasuke nodded slowly. "Yes, I do at least have that going for me," he muttered and they stood in silence for a moment before Sasuke took a deep breath.

"Which is why you know I'm telling you the truth when I say that I do love your sister. And my some miracle, she loves me back. Now, I'm selfish enough to say that I'm not going to let her go when a part of me knows she doesn't quite fit in my word just yet. But I love her and she loves me, so she's making the effort to learn the ropes, which is more than I ever hoped. She's concreting her place in my family and in my world."

"In your family? As the mother of your child?" Ren asked without looking at him.

Sasuke nodded slowly and gave a small shrug. "Yeah, as the mother of my child and my future wife," he said, causing Ren to turn and glare at him. Sasuke didn't give him a chance to speak against his intentions.

"And with the club. While you see us as just a bunch of rough-necks hanging around one another, the truth it we are just one giant family. I mean, look at this place," Sasuke said gesturing to the many photos that lined the walls as proof of the love the brothers shared for one another. "A family full of rough necks, yes, but once you're in you're in for life. We are fiercely loyal in a way that sometimes boarders on obscene. I'm sure you've already seen just how much Sakura is loved here. Anyone of us would put our lives on the line for her if a situation called for it. You can at least take comfort in the fact that she is loved by so many here and we treat her with respect."

Ren didn't seem to have anything to say to that because he had seen the truth in Sasuke's words. It was evident in the way that they treated her, the way they joked with her in a teasing way, that they cared for her as family. Ren still warred with how he felt about that exactly.

"You're future wife, huh? Do you really think you're going to marry her?" Ren asked instead.

Sasuke answered without hesitation. "Yes. When the time is right, I'll ask for her hand and she'll say yes. I know she will."

"Oh, you know she will?" Ren asked in a sarcastic manner. "You're very confident in yourself. What makes you think she will be okay with this life? What makes you think I will even let you marry her?" he asked.

Sasuke eyed him seriously. "Sakura has had her chance to run. She saw what my world was before we were together. She could have turned her back and run away. And then e entered into the relationship, with eyes wide open on both sides, and she knows exactly who I am. And she still loves me. She's already committed herself to me, without a ring. She knew what it meant to be my lady and then to be my old lady. And she still didn't run. Instead she held my hand."

"That still doesn't mean I'm okay with this," Ren spoke up.

It was Sasuke turn to give him a disbelieving look. "Well, then it's a good thing that mine and Sakura's relationship is between me and her. Last time I checked, I didn't need you're approval to love someone and neither does she."

Ren glared at him incredulously. "I'm the man of the family. It's my job to approve of the man my sister is going to spend her life with. You're supposed to be sucking up to me so that when you ask for my approval that I'll say yes."

Sasuke only laughed and eyed the other man strangely. He looked down at himself, taking in his own baggy clothes and his cut over top. He made a gesture to himself. "Do I really look like the kind of guy who asks permission for anything? If I want it, I'm going after it. Whether you approve of me and Sakura is not any of my concern. I have too much on my plate already than worrying about what you think of me. I love her, she loves me, and I'll take care of her until my dying breath. That has to be enough."

Sasuke expected outrage from the man in front of him. This was a very serious man and he had made it very clear that he didn't like him and that he was very protective of his sister. And Sasuke was metaphorically spitting in his face. Outrage would have been expected, almost acceptable. A punch in the face, too, if Ren was brave. Instead he got silence for a very long moment. Long enough for Sasuke's palms to sweat and wonder if he took it a step too far.

And then Ren smiled and gave a laugh, almost despite himself. He shook his head and buried his face in his hands for a moment before sighing and looking back at Sasuke. The raven held his breath, not sure what to expect from the man next to him.

"Do you at least make respectable money?" he asked, shocking the hell out of Sasuke.

Sasuke took a step back from the man, feeling more wary of him than ever before. He raised an eyebrow and answered slowly. "Well, I'm not a doctor like Sakura but I pay my bills and my brother's for that matter. I don't like accepting money from people, so I've never asked Sakura and she's never offered."

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Twenty-nine," Sasuke answered evenly.

"College?" Ren asked, as if he was going off a checklist in his head.

Sasuke shook his head. "No college."

Ren sighed and gave a small eye roll, as if this information was shame worthy. "Did you at least finish high school?"

Sasuke grimaced. "No, but I got my GED when I was in prison," he admitted.

Ren actually laughed at the emission, before he glanced at Sasuke and saw that he was being serious. He froze, before he furrowed his brows at him. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Sasuke gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. "It was only two and a half years, if that makes you feel better."

"It doesn't," Ren answered quickly, taking a deep breath, shaking his head and burying his face in his hands again. Sasuke waited, knowing that Ren needed a moment to process the information. He chewed on his lip for a moment, craving a cigarette more than ever while he heard Ren mutter to himself about his "stupid sister" and her "ex-con".

"I didn't really see a way to spin that so I just thought I would get it out in the open. It was years ago, when I was eighteen," Sasuke said after a moment.

"Still doesn't make me feel better," Ren mumbled into his hands. Sasuke nodded and said nothing more.

Ren fussed over the information for a long while before he slowly moving his hands down a bit. He kept them over most of his face, uncovering only his eyes so that he could look at the raven haired man next to him.

"Do I want to know what you did?" he asked hesitantly.

Sasuke made of show of thinking it over before he slowly shook his head, letting out an uneasy hiss from between clenched teeth. "Probably not."

Ren easily nodded and accepted the answer quickly. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Why don't we quit while we are ahead? Sound good?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good," he said. "Did you really have to go to the bathroom or were you just saying that to get me alone?" he questioned.

"Both," Ren admitted.

"Right this way," Sasuke said and then led the way to his personal suite in the clubhouse. Silently he thanked the gods that Gaara was staying in the room at the moment and it was clean when they entered.

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><p><strong>Please leave your thoughts and let me know how i'm doing.<strong>


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